Parole for elderly, terminally ill PDLs proposed before House

A bill is being proposed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) aimed at granting medical parole to elderly individuals aged 70 years and above, as well as those who are terminally ill or severely incapacitated persons deprived of liberty.

This was revealed by BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. during the committee hearing Tuesday on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and its attached agencies, when asked by Rep. Percy Cendaña about the initiatives being undertaken by the bureau to help decongest PDLs.

Aside from transferring PDLs to various operating prisons and penal farms, Catapang said the bill seeks to institutionalize a system of medical parole for the elderly and medically incapacitated PDLs, based on humanitarian considerations and global best practices.

It aims to ensure their dignity and provide appropriate medical care outside the confines of prison.

Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada have adopted legal frameworks for compassionate or medical parole, recognizing that continued incarceration of terminally ill or severely incapacitated individuals may constitute inhumane treatment and serve no legitimate penal objective.