A total of 416 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) was released simultaneously on Monday, Feb. 20, from the prison facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
“Sa tingin ko naman ang pagpapalaya ng mga tao na nagbayad na sa lipunan ay isang mabuting gawain (I believe releasing persons who have paid for what they have done is a good deed),” Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said during the culminating activity for the release of PDLs.
“Ito po ay hindi ko titigilan hangga’t ako po ay secretary of justice (I will not stop this move to release qualified PDLs while I am justice secretary),” Remulla assured.
As a matter of fact, he declared: “Buwan buwan magpapalaya po tayo ng mga dapat lumaya na (every month we will release persons who must be freed).”
Those freed included 78 PDLs who had been acquitted of their criminal charges, 81 who had been granted parole; and eight who had been qualified for probation. The other PDLs released were those who had served their prison terms and had qualified to receive merits jnder the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law, BuCor said.
A total of 205 PDLs was released from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City; 22 from Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte; 43 from San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in in Zamboanga City; 13 from Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro; 14 from Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan; 76 from Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte; 42 from Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City; and one from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City where PDLs qualified for release undergo training.
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