The Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and Board of Pardons and Paroles to release the elderly and sickly inmates who have received executive clemency from President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra, he instructed the release of the elderly and sickly inmates even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis hit.Based on the DOJ’s data, there are 23 elderly, sick, and pregnant inmates still in jail.
The DOJ has also asked the court to release or to allow bail to be posted by inmates who can easily catch the virus and thereby prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines. – PTV News
