Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) — The Supreme Court may be able to decide June 16 on the plea of the families of vulnerable inmates to be freed on humanitarian grounds amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said Thursday in an online forum with justice reporters.
“I believe we can finish it this Tuesday,” Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said in his first-ever virtual “CJ Meets the Press” event.
Twenty-two political prisoners who are elderly, sick, or pregnant sought for their release based on humanitarian grounds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
They argued they are currently committed in places of detention “where it is practically impossible” to practice self-isolation, social distancing, and other COVID-19 precautions.
It has been more than two months since they filed the petition but there’s no decision yet from the justices.
Peralta said the member-in-charge or the justice handling the case is stuck in Visayas because of the community quarantine.
“We cannot tackle something if it’s not deliberated upon. And the one who will present to the en banc is the member-in-charge, So I hope that he can come this Tuesday and I can assure you that once he’s here I believe that case will finally be now resolved,” the chief magistrate explained.
He added if the assigned justice will still not be able to come on June 16 then they probably will resort to video conferencing.
“But jokingly I told him, lumangoy ka na lang (just swim), but I hope, because they opened already the domestic flight, tapos na ‘yun eh. (We’ll be able to finish it up.)”
As the case remains pending, the number of COVID-19 patients in different prison and detention centers continues to increase.
Based on latest government data, 745 inmates have tested positive in the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology facilities, while there are 222 reported cases under the Bureau of Corrections.
