PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the release of 24 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who were incarcerated for at least four decades in the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF).
Information officer Levi Evangelista said that it is the largest batch of PDL released from IPPF who have been sentenced to reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment since the revision of the manual implementing Republic Act 10592 or the Good Conduct Time Act
The release was made by virtue of Department Order No. 652 which was issued to decongest prison facilities and speed up the release of qualified PDLs.
“Ito yong matataas na ‘yong sentensya nila at malaki na rin ang na-serve nila— under department order 652. Kapag heinous crimes ay DOJ, kapag de numero ay under pa rin ng GCTA, pero ang nag-a-analyze ay BuCor Director General,
[These PDLs are those with higher sentences and who have served long years— under department order 652. Heinous crimes are under the DOJ; numbered sentences are still under GCTA, but those are analyzed by the BuCor Director General]," he said.
IPPF Supt. Gary Garcia and other prison officials lead the culminating activity for the release of 24 PDLs. (Photo from IPPF)
The manual of the RA 10592, or Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law, was revised in 2019 and completed in late 2020.
The DOJ granted the release of inmates whose GCTAs were approved upon recommendation of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.
Evangelista said that they are expecting the next batch of releases of seven to eight individuals.
The penal prison believes that it aligns with the goal of the bureau in fast-tracking the release of qualified PDLs based on the rules of the GCTA law.
He is positive that it could also give hope and boost the morale of PDLs, particularly those with a large number of sentences.
“We are expecting more na darating pa— Sila yong mga sumunod sa mga alituntunin ng IPPF, naging malinis ang kanilang record,
[We are expecting more to come— These are PDLs who have followed the rules of IPPF, they have a clean record],” he said.
The BuCor also provided transportation allowance, and additional assistance has been extended to released PDLs with the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). (RG/PIA MIMAROPA - Palawan)
BANNER PHOTO FROM IWAHIG PRISON AND PENAL FARM
