MANILA, Philippines – A total of 9,228 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been freed by the Bureau of Corrections since July 2022, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Citing data from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez over 9,000 PDLs are now released by the national government to decongest the country’s prison system
“According to BuCor data, 3,372 PDLs were released from July 2022 to December 2022, while 5,856 PDLs were released throughout the year 2023. Among those released are those who have been acquitted, have served their sentences, and have been granted parole and pardon,” Gutierrez said in Filipino during a Palace press briefing.
About 389 more PDLs are scheduled to be released this January.
In December 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced during the National Jail Decongestion Summit about the streamlining of jails decongestion in the country through digitalization.
As per Marcos, “we can enhance our efficiency, reduce delays, and ensure swift and fair legal proceedings” by embracing technology and innovative practices.
Latest tally from the DOJ revealed that 70 percent of detention prisoners from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology detention facilities are already “overcrowded” at an average congestion rate of 386 percent.
The Quezon City Male Dormitory is considered the highest in terms of congestion rate at 1,330 percent, the DOJ said.
‘Illegal aliens’
On the other hand, the DOJ likewise said that the department has already “blacklisted” more than 459 illegal aliens after allegedly using fake company names on their immigration papers.
A total of 79 accredited liaison officers and four immigration lawyers, according to Gutierrez, are facing an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation due to their alleged involvement in this illegal modus operandi.
