A total of 188 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were freed on Monday, March 31, bringing to 1,058 the number of PDLs released for the month of March this year, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said.
The BuCor said that since President Marcos assumed office in 2022, more than 20,600 PDLs had been released.
Of those freed this March, 747 PDLs had served their jail terms; 159 had been granted parole; 112 had been acquitted of their criminal chares; 21 had been granted probation; 18 whose petitions for habeas corpus had been granted by the courts; and one who was turned over to the court.
During the release ceremony, Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Deo L. Marco told the freed PDLs: “Tanggapin ninyo ang nakaraan pero huwag ninyo hayaan na ang nakaraan ninyo ang tutukoy sa inyo moving forward (Accept your past but don’t let it determine you as you move forward).”
“Magfocus na kayo sa kung ano ang magpapabuti sa inyo (Focus on what can be good for you),” Marco also said.
He admitted that the freed PDLs transition back to society "will be difficult since there is a stigma against former PDLs."
But he advised them: “Tuloy-tuloy n’yo lang. ‘Wag kayong titigil. Ang importante ay ipakita n‘yo na kaya n’yo at kaya n’yo baguhin ang inyong buhay (Just continue. Don’t stop. What’s important is to show that you can do it and you can change your life).”