MANILA – From decongesting penitentiaries to administering coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) tests, the national government is working to ensure the safety of inmates amid the prevailing pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this assurance following calls made by families and friends of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to implement measures to mitigate the risk of contracting Covid-19 inside detention facilities.
“Well, siyempre po inaaksiyunan ng gobyerno ang kundisyon ng lahat ng (of course the government is improving the condition of all) detention facilities,” he said in a virtual presser.
According to Roque, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has put up a quarantine facility in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa for asymptomatic, mild, and moderate Covid-19 cases.
He said the Board of Pardons and Parole is speeding up the processes for the release of inmates who are qualified for parole and probation.
“Mayroon na po tayong isolation facility na naroroon na ibinigay rin po ng ICRC ‘no at siyempre po mayroon din tayong programa sa Board of Pardons and Parole na hangga’t maaari, palalayain na po natin iyong pinakamaraming numero ng mga kuwalipikado na mapalaya na para nga po maibsan iyong siksikan na kundisyon sa ating mga kulungan dahil kung siksikan, wala pong social distancing (There is an isolation facility given by the ICRC and of course there is a program under the Board of Pardons and Parole which allows for the release of a large number of qualified inmates to minimize crowding in our jails because if there’s crowding, there’s no social distancing),” he said.
Roque said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is also providing isolation facilities for detainees in their respective areas.
“Nagbukas din po ang DILG ng mga isolation facilities para doon sa mga detainees na nagti-test nang positive at nakikipag-ugnayan din po sa ating hukuman para mapabilis po iyong pagpapalaya o pagpapa-dismiss sa mga kaso na pupuwede nang ma-dismiss nang sa ganoon mas kakaunti na po ang mga nasa detention facilities (The DILG opened isolation facilities for detainees who tested positive and they also coordinate with the courts to speed up their release or dismissal of cases so that there would be fewer inmates inside detention facilities),” he said.
He also said inmates are also guaranteed of undergoing Covid-19 testing.
“Pagdating po doon sa testing, isinasagawa po iyan dahil iyan po ang dahilan kung bakit naabatan iyong mas malawakan pang pagkalat ng Covid sa ating mga kulungan (When it comes to testing, we’re doing that because that’s the reason why we were able to prevent the spread of Covid in our jails),” he said.
On the possibility of providing electronic visitations for detainees, Roque said the matter would have to be raised before the DOJ and Bureau of Corrections.
Currently, all detention facilities are off-limits to visitors except food deliveries.
Meanwhile, he said quarantine violators will still face detention despite congestion in jails.
“Pagdating po sa quarantine violators at political arrest, kinakailangan po ipatupad ang batas (When it comes to quarantine violators and political arrest, we have to implement the law),” he added.