By Benjamin Pulta | Philippine News Agency
Prison officials on Friday said 805 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were released from various operating prisons and penal farms in the country in April.
In a statement, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said the number of inmates released in April was higher than the 783 released in March.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said of those released in April, 548 were due to expiration of maximum sentence, 161 were granted parole, 67 were acquitted, 28 were granted probation, and one for habeas corpus.
Meanwhile, Catapang said Simeon Raz is already at the Reception and Diagnostic Center of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, while Denice Cornejo was admitted at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Raz and Cornejo, together with businessman Cedric Lee and Ferdinand Guerrero, were sentenced to up to 40 years imprisonment by a Taguig Regional Trial Court in connection with the serious illegal detention for ransom case filed by actor Vhong Navarro.
Catapang said the BuCor has yet to receive the commitment order for Lee, who surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation Thursday night.
As part of the commitment process, BuCor said upon receipt of the commitment order, the newly committed PDLs are received at the Reception and Diagnostic Center for initial interview and checkup, after which he or she will be placed at Quarantine Cell for five days with no visiting privileges.
This will be followed by diagnostic procedures, which include medical, sociological, psychological, educational and classification processes for 55 days.
“Since we are no longer allowed to accept any more PDLs at the NBP and with the on-going decongestion program being implemented, I have ordered NBP Supt., C/CINSP Roger Boncales, to determine where they will be committed, just like any other newly committed PDLs,” Catapang said.
