Some 10,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), including those convicted of heinous crimes, are eligible to apply for good conduct time allowance (GCTA) that shortens their sentence as a reward for good behavior.

A ruling on the Department of Justice’s GCTA guidelines by the Supreme Court (SC) en banc, penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh and posted on its website on Wednesday, states that any convicted prisoner is entitled to GCTA as long as he or she is in any penal institution, rehabilitation or detention center, or any other local jail.

“Today, I have ordered the evaluation of prison records of those who will qualify under this new ruling of the SC, and we have to make sure that they are really reformed and no longer a threat to society,” Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said in response to the ruling on the implementing rules and regulations of Article 97 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act 10592.

The release of all PDLs incarcerated in national penitentiaries with expired sentences shall be approved by the Director General of the BuCor or his duly authorized representative while the release of PDLs sentenced to life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua or those classified as high-risk/high-profile shall be implemented only upon prior approval of DoJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, according to Catapang. 

He also disclosed that priority will be given to qualified PDLs who are terminally ill or seriously ill, so they can still have time to be with their families and loved ones.

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