A total of 2,102 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who were qualified to vote cast their votes during last Monday's, Oct. 30, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said.
“PDLs who were qualified to vote are those confined in the facility who are formally charged for any crime and awaiting or undergoing trial; those serving a sentence of imprisonment for less than one year; or those whose conviction is on appeal,” BuCor said.
Those who voted were 817 PDLs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City; 527 at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte; 277 at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City; 266 at the Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte; 157 inmates at the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City; and 58 at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Puerto, Princesa.
BuCor said the PDLs' participation in BSKE was part of the efforts of Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. “to guarantee efficient governance and leadership within the institution.”
“PDLs who voted demonstrated the Bureau's ongoing commitment in promoting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. It provides them a sense of belonging and contributes to the restoration of their faith in humanitarian reformation efforts,” it said.