The petition was filed by the NUPL and the Public Interest Law Center (PILC), which are seeking the temporary release of 22 inmates. “Well, we would have wanted a speedier and accelerated process, especially so that the contagion is starting already in some jails,” Olalia said in a statement. After announcing that Quezon City Jail inmates, as well as BJMP inmates, have contracted COVID-19, BJMP Spokesperson Xavier Solda said that they would conduct random testing of inmates in Quezon City Jail. Before this, several groups asked the executive branch to release PDLs amid the COVID-19 threat. The Commission on Human Rights, meanwhile, called on the government to implement measures to protect PDLs against the threat of COVID-19.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 17, 2020 13:18 UTC