122K inmates released so far amid COVID-19 pandemic —CJ Peralta

More than 122,000 inmates have been granted temporary liberty since March last year as part of the judiciary’s push to curb the spread of COVID-19 by decongesting jails, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said Friday.

Peralta said 122,178 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were released from March 17, 2020 to February 11, 2021, while 192,444 videoconferencing hearings were held from May 4, 2020 to February 5, 2021.

“With all candor, being at the helm of the judiciary during this pandemic is no mean feat,” Peralta said in a speech after receiving his honorary doctorate of law degree from Tarlac State University.

“There are no guidelines or rules set in place for such an unfamiliar eventuality. All of us are in uncharted territory still. What was clear to me then, during the early stages of this crisis, was that the pandemic all the more underscored the importance of keeping the courts open and accessible,” he added.

The Supreme Court earlier allowed the electronic filing of cases, applications for bail, and transmission of release orders during the public health emergency. Reduced bail was also allowed for indigent detainees.

The high court also authorized several courts nationwide to hold hearings through videoconferencing, initially only on urgent matters involving detainees and later on all pending cases.

These initiatives came in the form of administrative circulars, which also included a reminder for judges to follow existing guidelines on the release of qualified detainees, such as those who have served the minimum penalty for their alleged offense. -MDM, GMA News