Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles welcomed the Supreme Court’s order to judges to release persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who fall under a 2014 guidelines on decongesting jails amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“While this is not yet the decision on the petition to release low-risk and vulnerable inmates, we welcome the SC’s move, which speaks highly of their compassion and reassures us that the ears of our highest legal authority are not deaf to our pleas for humanity,” Nograles, a Harvard-trained lawyer, said.
“We hope that this is only the first of many steps the government takes to address the threat of infection in our congested prisons.”
The Supreme Court order, issued on Monday, refers to guidelines stating that inmates that have been detained longer than their minimum penalty, and those whose cases have not been heard because of non-appearance of witnesses, shall be released to decongest jails.
The lawmaker nevertheless urged government to act swiftly on petitions to release low-risk and vulnerable inmates filed by various groups, including the House of Representatives’ Justice Committee, on which he serves as vice chairman.
“We hope that this is only the first of many other steps the government takes to address the threat of infection in our congested prisons. Dumarami na ang bilang ng COVID-positive sa ating mga selda, kaya kailangan ng agarang aksyon,” Nograles said.
The Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on Tuesday reported that 18 prisoners and one jail staffer had been infected with COVID-19, days after an inmate was confirmed COVID-positive. The Quezon City Jail also reported that nine inmates and nine jail staffers had been infected with the coronavirus.
Nograles, a legal aid advocate, also said that PDLs can still communicate with their lawyers through the “e-dalaw” initiative which is being promoted by the Lakbay Hustisya Foundation in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The freshman solon is the founder of Lakbay Hustisya Foundation, a legal aid trust fund organized to support legal aid activities around the Philippines.
“Gumagawa tayo ng mga hakbang, sa pakikipag-ugnayan natin sa BJMP, para masigurong makakapanayam pa rin ng ating mga PDL ang kanilang mga abogado kahit suspended ang visitation rights,” said Nograles.
Lakbay Hustisya recently donated twenty five (25) sets of computers to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for distribution to different jails around Metro Manila for the implementation of “e-dalaw” (electronic visit) in lieu of physical visits to inmates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation has also purchased 15 additional computers to be donated in various jails in Visayas and Mindanao. The said computers will be delivered starting Friday, April 24th.