DILG welcomes SC move to decongest jails amid virus threat

The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to decongest overcrowded the jails and prisons in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Supreme Court official announced Saturday that the high court has freed nearly 10,000 inmates in a bid to decongest that country's overcrowded jail and prisons facilities.

In a statement, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the SC ruling is a "humane move" in promoting social restorative justice as it eases the burden of the Persons Deprived of Liberties (PDLs) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) personnel working round the clock to implement more stringent measures following the protocols of the Department of Health (DOH).

"Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga mahihirap at matatandang nakapiit sa ating mga pasilidad na mabigyan sila ng pagkakataong makapiling muli ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Malaking ginhawa din ito sa ating mga tauhan sa BJMP dahil mababawasan ang kanilang mga alalahanin sa gitna ng banta ng COVID-19," Año  said.

The DILG chief thanked Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta for releasing Administrative Circular 39-2020, which provided for reduced bail to those charged with crime punishable with a maximum period of reclusion temporal or 12 years and above to 20 years, while those charged with crimes punishable by six months and below may be released based on recognizance.

Año cited data that four out of the 468 BJMP facilities nationwide have reported COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that based on the records of the BJMP, some 3,000 PDLs across the country are qualified under the new SC guidelines and maybe released as soon as court orders are received in their respective BJMP facilities.  —Jamil Santos/LBG, GMA News