A total of 138 inmates, including two foreigners, has been released from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced on Friday, June 11.
Also released were 14 inmates from the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
“As part and parcel of the decongestion plans of the Bureau of Corrections under the banner of the BuCor Director General Gerald Q. Bantag, the Office of the Superintendent Maximum Security Compound, New Bilibid Prison has released a total of 135 Persons Deprived of Liberty and three Returnees from the temporary custody from May 31 to June 06, 2021 (at the NBP),” the BuCor said in a statement.
“They were also tested negative for COVID virus (coronavirus disease) before their eventual release,” it said.
The “returnees” are those previously released based on good conduct time allowance (GCTA) but President Duterte ordered their return to jail pending further verification of their GCTA credits.
“As protocol, the IDPD (Inmates’ Documents and Processing Division), Separation Center, Overseer’s Office and other concerned NBP Offices have comprehensively scrutinized all the documents pertaining to the pre-release formalities before they were finally released,” the BuCor said.
“Gratuity money was given to all released PDLs as transportation allowance going back to their respective home towns and loot bags containing grooming items, white t-shirts and pair of slippers,” it added.