Sixty-three more persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were released from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City last Aug. 5, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said.
In a statement, BuCor said that those released were eight PDLs from the maximum-security compound, 42 from the medium-security compound and 13 from the minimum-security compound.
It said the freed PDLs received their release orders, grooming kits, gratuity in a form of cash, transportation allowance, and medical certificate for their antigen testing.
From last July 21 to 25, BuCor released 69 PDLs who had been acquitted of their criminal charges, granted parole, and served their prison terms.
BuCor records showed that from Jan. 1 to July 22, 2022, the bureau had released a total of 4,461 PDLs.
As part of efforts to decongest the NBP, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla disclosed plans to transfer inmates of the maximum-security compound to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro.
Remulla also said there is a plan to convert the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment Rehabilitation Center (MDATRC) located in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija as a facility to house inmates of the NBP’s medium and minimum-security compounds.