MANILA, Philippines — Some 2,700 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) may qualify for the proposed early release based on the rules on executive clemency approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ), President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth report to Congress released Monday stated. The DOJ earlier approved a resolution by the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) relaxing clemency applications to decongest jails amid the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). ADVERTISEMENTCiting the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Duterte’s report said a total of 2,731 PDLs may be qualified for early release. In Quezon City Jail, nine PDLs and personnel of BJMP have tested positive for the coronavirus. Last week, an inmate from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) who was infected by the coronavirus died.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 27, 2020 12:56 UTC