Reference : https://bit.ly/2ymDVHd

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) welcomes the recently issued Supreme Court (SC) administrative circular to decongest the jails and prisons managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the SC ruling is a humane move in promoting social restorative justice while easing the burden of the PDLs and the BJMP personnel who are working round the clock in implementing more stringent measures following the protocols of the Department of Health (DOH) to keep our jail premises safe and secure.

“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,” said Año as he thanked the Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta for releasing Administrative Circular 39-2020.

The said SC administrative circular 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.

As a key strategy, Año said that the BJMP will prioritize the release of qualified PDLs with court orders currently detained in BJMP facilities with confirmed cases to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 cases to other PDLs.

“We have been implementing very stringent measures to prevent further spread of the virus in  four facilities including contract tracing, immediate isolation of suspected cases, and proper medical attention to PDLs in addition to other measures being implemented in all BJMP facilities nationwide,” he said.

Año said that four out of the 468 BJMP facilities nationwide have reported COVID-19 cases. To date, 345 COVID-cases have been reported in said four facilities.  

Over 3,000 PDLs in BJMP facilities qualified for release

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 maymbe released as soon as court orders are received in their respective BJMP facilities.

“As far as the DILG is concerned, we will continue to support legal efforts to decongest our jails. Kung anuman ang ipag-uutos sa amin ng korte at meron ng court orders para dito, ‘yun naman po ang aming susundin,” he said.

Malaya explained that based on the SC circular, the lawyers of the PDLs can file for a petition at their respective lower courts. Once the court has approved the petition and issued the release order, the BJMP will release the PDL on bail or on recognizance.

For the other detainees in BJMP facilities, Malaya said that the BJMP will continue to implement strict measures such as electronic dalaw or “e-dalaw”, set up of hand washing areas, and regular disinfection in jail premises. ###