At least 5,000 and maybe 10,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are expected to be released before Christmas with the new rules on the application of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
GCTA credits under Republic Act No. 10592 shorten the period of the jail term of a PDL.
The new Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10592 will be signed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla and his brother, Local Government Secretary Jonvic C. Remulla on Dec. 2, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said on Monday, Nov. 25.
“More or less 5,000 to 10,000 ang mapapalaya natin bago magpasko (will be set free before Christmas),” Catapang said during the culminating activity for the release of 104 PDLs held on Monday.
Catapang explained that the IRR of RA 10592 was revised after the Supreme Court's (SC) final ruling that GCTA applies to PDLs who were convicted of heinous crimes.
“So, the SC said, to make a long story short, we are allowing that the GCTA also be equally granted sa mga heinous crime offenders,” he explained.
Prior the SC ruling, those convicted of heinous crimes were not qualified to get GCTA which would allow their earlier release from prison.
Meanwhile, the BuCor said that the 104 PDLs released on Monday were among the 500 PDLs who were set free since Oct. 22 from various BuCor prison facilities.
The 500 PDLs released included 347 who had served their maximum sentences, 110 had been acquitted, 21 who had been granted probation, 20 who had been paroled, one who had been allowed to post bail, and another who had been ordered released through a writ of habeas corpus.
Of those released, 39 were from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, nine from CIW Mindanao, 53 from Davao Prison and Penal Farm, 41 from Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, 20 from Leyte Regional Prison, 135 from the Maximum Security Camp of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), 69 from the Medium Security Camp of NBP, 20 from the Minimum Security Camp of NBP, 14 from the Reception and Diagnostic Center of NBP, 44 from Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, and 56 from San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City.