QC jail releases 1,798 prisoners

Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory (QCJMD) warden, Supt. Michelle Ng Bonto, on Sunday, reported the release of 1,798 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from January to November this year, as part of the administration's intensified decongestion program.

Bonto said the credit goes to her paralegal team which has been working doubly hard in computing the time served by PDLs as directed by the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA).

She said that under OCA Memorandum Circular 201-2022, jail facility officials need not wait for the court to order a release of a PDL for as long as these freedom-bound inmates are qualified and have complied with all the requirements.

"I-inform na lang ang court through writing kung qualified na ang isang PDL for release," Bonto told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Computations show that of the number, 1,607 PDLs turned out to have already served sentences even before their cases were decided in courts.

A total of 102 PDLs have availed of the probation process while 49 are given the green light towards the exit gate for showing good character under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) program.

Bonto said that 81 others are scheduled to get their release tickets this December.

Earlier, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos lauded the BJMP leadership for the continuing initiatives to further decongest jails throughout the country which resulted in the release of 74,590 PDLs.

Overcrowding of jails is a decades-old problem of the bureau which Abalos wanted to be addressed.

This far, the BJMP Abalos added, has been efficient in introducing comprehensive programs that convince the PDLs to mend their ways and instead choose to become more productive members of the society once they enjoy freedom.

"Ang overcrowding noong January ay 281 percent, ngayon lumalabas nasa 238 percent na, so nababawasan natin ito ng husto at magtatrabaho pa tayo tungkol dito," he said.

According to Bonto, she assumed the wardenship more than a year ago with 3,600 PDLs.

The QCJMD now has a jail population of 3,151 while decongestion efforts continue.