Almost 400 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are expected to be released by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) until Jan. 31, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
DOJ Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez said on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon that “389 pang PDLs ang nakatakdang mapalaya ngayong January 2024 (389 PDLs are expected to be released this January).”
Gutierrez said the large number of PDLs to be released is part of ongoing efforts of the government to decongest its prisons.
“Ilan sa mga hakbang ng BuCor upang mapabilis ang pagpapalaya sa mga PDLs at maibaba ang congestion rate sa mga piitan ay ang probisyon ng serbisyong legal, paggamit at pagpapalakas ng single-carpeta system at pag-amyenda sa Rules of Parole and Executive Clemency (Some of the actions taken by the BuCor for fast track the release of PDLs and lower the congestion rates include providing legal services, using and strengthening a single prison record system, and amending the Rules of Parole and Executive Clemency),” she cited.
She pointed out that “aabot na sa 9,228 persons deprived of liberty ang napalaya ng Bureau of Corrections sa ilalim ng Marcos administration bilang bahagi ng decongestion program ng pamahalaan (A total of 9,228 PDLs have been freed by the BuCor as part of decongestion efforts of the Marcos administration).”
“Kabilang sa mga nakalaya ay mga acquitted, nakapagsilbi na ng kanilang sentensiya, at nagawaran ng parole at pardon. (Those released included those who were acquitted, those who have served their sentence, and those who were granted pardon and parole,” she said.
She said those released were 5,856 PDLs who were freed in 2023 and 3,372 PDLs who were released from July to December in 2022.