10,000 PDLs to reap GCTA ruling benefits

A total of 10,000 persons deprived of liberty, including those who committed heinous crimes, will benefit from the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the application of the good conduct time allowance.

The Supreme Court en banc, in a decision penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, ruled that Article 97 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act 10592, is clear that any convicted prisoner is entitled to GCTA as long as the prisoner is in a penal institution, rehabilitation or detention center, or local jail.

Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. attributed the ruling to the success of the National Decongestion Summit held last December spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council and attended by the three branches of government — the executive, legislative and judiciary — to find solutions to the jail and prison overcrowding.

“Today, I have ordered the evaluation of the prison records of those who would qualify under this new SC ruling, and we have to make sure that they are truly reformed and no longer a threat to society,” Catapang said in English and Filipino.

Their records will be forwarded to the Department of Justice for review since, under Department Order 652, freedom for PDLs incarcerated in national penitentiaries with expiring sentences shall be approved by the Director General of the Bureau of Corrections or his representative.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla shall approve the release of PDLs sentenced to life imprisonment or those classified as high-risk/high-profile.

“We will also coordinate with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for job opportunities for these PDLs,” Catapang said.

He said priority would be given to qualified PDLs who are terminally or seriously ill so they still have time to be with their families and loved ones.