Prisoners granted executive clemency, parole to undergo quarantine

Prisoners granted executive clemency and parole amid the COVID-19 pandemic will undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine prior to release, President Rodrigo Duterte told Congress on Monday.

In his eighth weekly report, Duterte said the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) had started processing applications for executive clemency.

According to the President, the BPP also waived the notices-to-parties requirement in accordance with the interim guidelines meant to expedite the release of qualified prisoners.

For its part, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) was able to secure the release of 4,348 persons deprived of liberty from March 16 to May 5, 2020.

The agency also assisted 9,214 persons during inquest proceedings and had represented 1,233 persons in court from March 16 to April 23, 2020.

Several groups have called for the release of prisoners and detainees whose age and underlying medical conditions made them vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. — DVM, GMA News