House eyeing measures to address jail congestion, related issues
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is eyeing six key proposals to help decongest the country’s jail facilities Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday.
During the first-ever National Jail Decongestion Summit in Manila, Romualdez pledged that the House of Representatives would help address the plight of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in prison.
“First, we are amenable to a comprehensive review of the classification of crimes as ‘capital’ and ‘non-bailable.’ The Revised Penal Code’s classification system, almost a century old, needs an overhaul. This review will assess the deterrent effect of these classifications and consider the decriminalization of certain offenses like libel, abortion, and dueling. Our goal is to ensure that punishments are proportionate to the gravity of the crimes committed,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez said that the House is also mulling classifying adult offenders according to their offenses.
“We will review and examine your proposal for the creation of a Unified Penology System under a dedicated Department. This new structure, we all hope, can lead to streamlining of operations and bring our standards in line with international obligations,” added Romualdez.
Romualdez also said that the House will deliberate on the Law on Reintegration and Psychosocial Rehabilitation and the Amendment of the Recognizance Act of 2012.
“Lastly, we are also in agreement with the proposal of strengthening the Commission on Human Rights to act as the National Preventive Mechanism against Unjust Incarceration. This will involve equipping the Commission with data and analysis tools to monitor and address trends in incarceration and releases,” said the House Speaker.
Representatives from the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Supreme Court, and other agencies attended the summit.
