Remulla

Remulla: More inmates to be freed this week

January 15, 2023 Hector Lawas 250 views

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed over the weekened that more persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are set to be released by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) this Tuesday, January 17.

“Meron mga PDLs na baka ma-release sa Martes. Hinihintay na lang natin ang mga papel, ” Remulla said in a radio interview.

Remulla, a former lawmaker before he was appointed to the Justice Department’s helm, assured the public that these PDLs underwent stringent process to qualify them for release.

Last Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release more qualified PDLs in a bid to decongest the country’s crowded prisons.

This as Mr. Marcos noted that many PDLs are languishing in jail because they cannot afford the services of good lawyers.

“Wala naman silang magaling na abugado. So that’s why we are in favor now to release many of them. ”

“They just needed representation to set them free. So let’s continue with that,” the President said on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting.

At the same time, Marcos supported the plan of the DOJ to establish an Alcatraz-like prison to prevent inmates from doing their criminal operations in streets even while in jail.

“Iyan ‘yung mga ganoon we have to do that para hindi na ka maka-contact. Alam mo, we have to isolate them properly,” Marcos said in a statement.

In its 2022 accomplishment report, the DOJ said it released almost 3,000 PDLs from July to December 2022 as an immediate step to decongest correctional facilities.

The DOJ also fast-tracked the processing of the release of qualified prisoners by digitalizing the systems of the Probation and Parole Administration.

This year, the DOJ is eyeing to decongest prison facilities by transferring the maximum security compound in Muntinlupa City to a dedicated correctional facility in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

The DOJ is also planning to establish separate heinous crime facilities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

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