2500 Prisoners Released Across The Philippines To Stop COVID – DOJ

Over 2500 Prisoners Released Across State Penitentiaries In The PH

2500 PRISONERS RELEASED – From January to November 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said more than 2500 convicts were released across the country.

This number included more than 1,200 prisoners who were exonerated for criminal offenses after initially found guilty. Meanwhile, of this number, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), only freed one.

According to an article from Inquirer, this was after President Rodrigo Duterte gave him an absolute pardon. Additionally, Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay Villar stated that 1,333 convicts were given parole.

2500 Prisoners Released Across The Philippines To Stop COVID – DOJ
Image from: ICR

READ: Leni Robredo Reacts To Duterte’s Decision To Grant Pardon To Pemberton

Additionally, two others got freed after having their cases dismissed in courts. Furthermore, she highlighted that the number of paroled convicts in 2020 was 35% more than those paroled in 2019.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were rising concerns about the virus spreading within the Philippines’ crowded penitentiaries. As such, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the releasing of convicts was due to the Supreme Court wanting to curb the spread of COVID-19 in jails.

Social Distancing has become one of the most important ways of preventing the spread of the virus. However, this proved to be difficult considering the densely populated prisons in the Philippines, especially the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

But, last December, the BJMP recorded a 90% recovery rate from convicts infected with COVID-19.

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READ ALSO: BJMP Reports 90% Recovery From COVID-19 Amongst Prisoners

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