357 prisoners freed from Philippine jails
235 inmates released after serving their time, 122 were granted parole
Manila: A month after releasing nearly 400 additional prisoners, a total of 357 detainees from Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) prison institutions were freed on Wednesday (October 28, 2022).
"Our goal is to release all those who are not supposed to be in prison. We will do this to the best of our abilities,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla vowed.
More than half of the total — 235 prisoners — were released after serving out their sentences, while the remaining 122 were granted parole.
Those who left facilities on their own were given a certificate of discharge, hygiene kits, and money for transportation back to their homes.
Overcrowding
Remulla declared that in order to reduce prison overcrowding, he will concentrate on releasing eligible offenders on a monthly basis.
According to BuCor statistics, 136 detainees from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (PPF) and 102 inmates from NBP made up the majority of the released prisoners.
The Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, Iwahig PPF in Puerto Princesa City (49), Leyte Regional Prison (28), Sablayan PPF in Occidental Mindoro, and 49 additional inmates were also freed from BuCor prisons (20).