More than 18k detainees have been released since March – SC

MANILA, Philippines – More than 18,000 persons deprived of liberty have been released from detention since March, said the Supreme Court, in its effort to decongest the country’s detention facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said 18, 355 PDLs “have been released from March 17 to May 15 while 795 videoconferencing hearings of “cases of PDLs have been conducted from May 4 to 15 this year.”

Video conferencing has been pilot-tested nationwide to make sure that there is still immediate dispensation of justice while at the same time protecting the court officers, staff and litigants while the country is still fighting the pandemic.

In its previous update last week, the SC, through its Public Information Office, said 4,683 detainees were released from April 30 to May 8, adding to the 9,731 PDLs who were released from March 17 to April 29.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta attributed the thousands of earlier announced releases to court initiatives meant to expedite the process for freeing detainees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The high court has issued guidelines to decongest detention facilities. Aside from video conferencing, the high court has also allowed the filing online of pleadings, criminal charge sheets, petitions for bails, and release of resolutions; strict implementation of guidelines on the grant of bail and recognizance, and provisional dismissal of cases.

Reduced bail was also allowed for indigent detainees.

However, the petition filed by more than 20 detainees asking for the provisional release of inmates of old age and with underlying medical conditions has yet to be resolve by the High Court.

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