Over 85K PDLs freed nationwide—DILG

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced today that a total of 85,183 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been released from June 2024 to May 2025 through the strengthened paralegal program of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

The DILG emphasized that the BJMP’s paralegal services play a crucial role in addressing jail congestion by enabling eligible PDLs to gain timely access to legal remedies for their release.

According to BJMP data, 11,139 PDLs were released through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA), 8,280 were released on probation, 23 were granted parole, and 8,825 were able to post bail. Additionally, 3,570 were released on recognizance, while another 340 were required to perform community service in lieu of imprisonment.

The BJMP also facilitated the transfer of 15,085 PDLs to other facilities such as the Bureau of Corrections, provincial jails, drug treatment centers and youth detention facilities to ensure proper custodial management.

Meanwhile, 5,667 cases involving PDLs were permanently dismissed, while 6,342 were provisionally dismissed. A total of 7,431 individuals were acquitted, and 16,311 were released after fully serving their sentence.