Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. IMAGE from the PCOO Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — The government is speeding up the processing of probation and parole for qualified convicts to decongest jail facilities after several inmates tested positive for coronavirus.
“I’ve heard from the mouth of (Justice) Sec. Guevarra himself that they are expediting the processing of individuals who may be qualified for probation and parole to decongest our detention facilities,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel Wednesday.
He added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has set up isolation areas for detainees who have contracted COVID-19.
Two female inmates from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) have died due to COVID-19, the Bureau of Corrections announced Tuesday night.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) also announced that 195 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have contracted the disease.