SC orders gov’t to comment on suit to free ill, elderly inmates

In a statement, the SC Public Information Office said all 15 members of the High Court were present online. (File Photo By Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court (SC) held an online en banc session on Friday.

In a statement, the SC Public Information Office said all 15 members of the High Court were present online.

After the en banc session, the High Court, “without giving due course to the petition”, ordered government agencies named as respondents in the suit seeking the release of ill and elderly inmates amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic to file a comment by April 24.

“The respondents were ordered to take the necessary interim preventive measures required by this national emergency (Covid 19) and provide a verified report to the court within the same period,” it said.

The SC also took up another petition asking it to compel President Rodrigo Duterte to provide a report on his health but it said: “no action was taken since the case is still being deliberated.”

Meanwhile, Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaglag said while the bureau is monitoring 23 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), there are still no Covid-19 positive patients so far among their wards both at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and the Corrections Institution for Women (CIW).

“We have no Covid 19 positive patients so far. We have nine PDLs at NBP and 14 at CIW that fall under the Suspect category.

A total of 23 PDLs are being monitored.” Chaglag said.

Earlier on Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is finalizing details for the uniform manual on Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA), particularly for the ill and elderly persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

The DOJ earlier assured that the country’s justice system has measures in place to ensure humanitarian treatment for old and sickly PDLs even before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic broke out.

Prison officials earlier said any release of PDLs must be based on existing laws as they assured strict implementation of health and safety standards in the country’s jails.