Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines–Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday said more inmates from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) are expected to be released soon.
Guevarra said 24 inmates stand to receive executive clemency. The 24 inmates are apart from the 40 inmates that were released last Christmas from the national penitentiary.
“The executive clemency grant for these 24 PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) is being processed in the Office of the President. They may be released in the next few days,” he said in a text message.
However, he refused to reveal the identities of the inmates so as not to preempt Malacañang.
Records from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which supervises the NBP and six other penal institutions released the inmates after processing their papers.
Of the 40, 32 were granted parole by the Board of Pardon and Parole, while the other eight completed their respective sentences.
BuCor did not reveal the identities of the inmates that are up for clemency but said that four were convicted in murder and homicide cases and no prominent inmates were released.
Traditionally, the President grants presidential pardon to ailing and ageing inmates during Christmas season.
Executive clemency or pardon is a power given to the President for any prisoner under Article VII, Section 19 of the Constitution. It pertains to reprieve, absolute or conditional pardon, with or without parole conditions and commutation of sentence.
On the other hand, parole is the conditional release of a prisoner from a correctional institution after the person has served the minimum of his or her sentence. /jpv