The government is set to release at least 5,000 inmates, or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in time for Christmas, as announced by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Jail Director Ruel Rivera, BJMP chief, shared during a weekly news forum in Quezon City that they anticipate the release of 3,000 to 5,000 PDLs this month through the Good Conduct and Time Allowance (GCTA).
Referring to Republic Act 10592, the Good Conduct and Time Allowance law, which shortens the jail time of inmates exhibiting good behavior, Rivera highlighted that the BJMP has successfully implemented court orders, leading to the release of approximately 74,000 PDLs from January to October 30 this year.
Rivera, alongside Associate Sandiganbayan Justice Karl Miranda, discussed the upcoming two-day National Jail Decongestion Summit on December 6 and 7 at the New World Hotel.
Miranda explained that the summit, involving the Supreme Court (SC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), aims to establish a comprehensive government approach to address jail congestion.
“What the Justice sector aims to do is to come together to coordinate and address common problems faced by the justice sector agencies. The end goal is to speed up the delivery of swift and fair justice,” Miranda stated.
Miranda added that the summit seeks to tackle the three primary causes of jail congestion, including insufficient facilities, the rise in arrests, and an increase in jail admissions rather than releases.