Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) — The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to comment within five days on the petition to temporarily release prisoners who have high risk of contracting COVID-19.
The court’s Public Information Office said the justices decided to seek inputs from the BJMP as they tackled the plea of 22 prisoners during their Friday en banc session. Jail authorities must submit their formal response by April 24 the latest, with magistrates saying the deadline is “non-extendible.”
The inmates, who all have underlying medical conditions, filed a petition before the SC last month seeking temporary freedom amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
READ: Inmates are safer in our jails amid pandemic — BJMP
The Judicial Reform Initiative, composed of business groups and reform advocates, also sent a letter to Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday, asking for special consideration to inmates deemed “highly vulnerable” to contract the deadly disease while inside the highly-congested jails.
The group asked the court to consider recommending these individuals to President Rodrigo Duterte for early release. These include senior citizens, those with previous health issues, and first-time offenders charged or serving sentences for petty crimes.
Human rights groups have also made similar calls, deeming prison facilities a “ticking time bomb” for infections. In the meantime, the court ordered the BJMP to “take the necessary interim preventive measures” to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in detention cells and submit a verified report outlining these strategies alongside their comment on the request.
The BJMP confirmed that nine detainees and nine prison employees at the male dormitory of the Quezon City Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, raising concerns about the safety of prison cells brimming with inmates who are unlikely to have the space to practice social distancing.
Human rights lawyer Edre Olalia said prisoners would have wanted a “speedier and accelerated process,” especially now that the COVID-19 contagion has hit a local jail.
CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
“The time bomb is ticking faster and louder. The expediency of the circumstances and imminence of the health threat call for a more decisive, less ponderous approach even as we understand prudent and practical considerations,” Olalia said in a statement. “The claim that it is safer inside jails is detached from reality and humanity. We just have to wait and pray it is not too late.”
The Bureau of Corrections, which handles the New Bilibid Prison and other large jail facilities nationwide, said there are no COVID-19 cases in these penitentiaries so far. However, there are 23 inmates inside Bilibid and the Correctional Institution for Women who are being monitored for the disease.
There are 5,878 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, which has led to 387 deaths and 487 recoveries as of Friday afternoon.
