GCTA mess: BuCor given til March to review records of PDL returnees

MANILA, Philippines –- The over 400 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) returnees who surrendered following President Rodrigo Duterte’s call because of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) controversy will have to wait two more months to know if they are already entitled to release.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) requested that they are given until March to process the remaining 400 plus PDL returnees due to lack of manpower.

“Sabi nila, they do not want to make any mistake again,” Guevarra said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum.

Last year, over 2,000 released inmates surrendered following reports that there was a mistake in the GCTA computation and that there are inmates prematurely released.

To date, there are 410 returnees at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and 24 at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW).

Guevarra said these returnees are asking that they be given certification as proof that they have been set free.

However, before such certification is issued, BuCor personnel still need to sift through the carpeta or records of every returnee to determine if they are qualified for release or not.

“Sabi ko, okay, we will give you that grace period that you are requesting on one condition, and that condition is during the interim, while these PDLs are awaiting to process their papers, make sure that they are properly fed, properly accommodated and they are safe,” Guevarra said.

“Some of these people are supposed to be already out so they are not mixed with those incarcerated,” he added.