Wrongly jailed will get paid under measure

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—People wrongfully convicted of a crime and imprisoned deserve more than their freedom back, according to two lawmakers.

A bill pending in the House of Representatives would allow those imprisoned for crimes they did not commit to seek damages amounting to P100,000 for each year of incarceration, or twice the amount of their income the year prior to being jailed, whichever is higher.

The bill, authored by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, states that claimants should file a petition for damages before the court within two years after their release from prison.

The lawmakers noted that there had been numerous occasions when the Supreme Court, upon review, reversed the decisions of lower courts and acquitted convicts.

“The Supreme Court’s reversal of the ruling of the lower courts consequently means that a person not otherwise guilty of the crime for which he or she was convicted had been incarcerated for a crime he or she did not commit,” they said in their explanatory note.

In addition to damages, they could also be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees.

But the bill also states that those serving a prison term for another crime, apart from the one for which they were mistakenly convicted, are barred from filing a claim for damages. Leila B. Salaverria

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