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Although recognizing the congestion in detention facilities, the Office of Solicitor General has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition of 22 political prisoners, consisting mainly of elderly and sick detainees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/25/2009760/osg-asks-sc-junk-temporary-release-petition-vulnerable-risk-prisoners
Read: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/25/2009760/osg-asks-sc-junk-temporary-release-petition-vulnerable-risk-prisoners
CONTEXT: Detainees deemed vulnerable and at-risk to #COVID19 sought an order for their temporary release from the Supreme Court, citing that the Philippines will record a staggering number of fatalities in our overcrowded prisons. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/08/2006295/on-humanitarian-grounds-vulnerable-risk-prisoners-ask-sc-temporary-release-amid-covid-19-crisis
CONTEXT: The International Drug Policy Consortium recommended for detention facilities in Southeast Asia to suspend arrests for non-violent offenses and release vulnerable people early to avoid the spread of the contagion in overcrowded jails. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/06/2005835/prisons-detention-facilities-southeast-asia-should-release-vulnerable-non-violent-inmates-group
CONTEXT: A human rights watchdog also warned that the Philippines will face a disastrous health crisis in its packed prisons and jails in the coming weeks if it does not reduce overcrowding in detention facilities across the country. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/07/2006090/philippines-urged-relieve-pressure-packed-prisons-prevent-catastrophic-health-crisis
Last week, barely a month after a Cabinet official claimed that jails are among the safest places during the COVID-19 pandemic, at least nine inmates from the Quezon City Jail tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/04/18/2008018/9-quezon-city-jail-detainees-positive-covid
Last Thursday, the Bureau of Corrections also reported that one inmate in the overcrowded New Bilibid Prison tested positive for #COVID19PH. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/23/2009293/first-covid-19-case-recorded-bilibid
However the DOJ said that even before the pandemic, they have "instructed the BuCor and Board of Pardons and Parole to expedite the release of, or grant of executive clemency to, old and sickly and PDLs serving their sentence for humanitarian reasons.” https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/13/2007034/doj-asked-expedite-release-elderly-ailing-inmates-covid-19-pandemic
