949 PDLs rejoin mainstream society

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced yesterday the release of 949 persons deprived of liberty from its major penal facilities.

Of the total, 556 were released for serving their maximum sentence, 213 were acquitted of the charges against them, 129 were given parole, 29 were granted probation, and two were released after posting cash bond.

The latest release brought to 6,322 the total number of PDLs who had been released under the administration of Remulla and BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.

During the release ceremony, Remulla cited the saying that "the correctional system is the window of the soul of the country," thus the need to decongest the country's prison system.

"We also have to expedite the release of PDLs if they have already served their maximum sentence," Catapang said.

"Our police force and prosecutors are working hand in hand to resolve the issue of those accused being detained for so long much more than their sentence," he added.

Those released were 90 from the Correctional Institution for Women, 177 from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, 23 from the Leyte Regional Prison, 486 from the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison, 234 from the medium compound of the NBP, 186 from the NBP minimum compound, 52 from the NBP RDC, two from the Philippine Military Academy, 33 from the Sablayan and Penal Farms, and 71 from the San Ramon and Penal Farm.