Latest news with #PDLs
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
219 inmates graduate from ALS at Bansud and Cagayan de Oro City Jail
A total of 219 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Oriental Mindoro and Cagayan de Oro City completed their elementary and high school education through the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology's (BJMP) Alternative Learning System (ALS) for the 2024–2025 school year. At Bansud District Jail in Oriental Mindoro, 35 PDLs graduated. According to Jail Officer 3 Joefrie Anglo, BJMP MIMAROPA Regional Information Officer, the graduation, now in its eighth year, was held under the theme 'Henerasyon ng Pagkakaisa: Kaagapay ng Bagong Pilipinas.' Senior Inspector Nelmar Malilmata, Acting District Jail Warden, praised the six elementary and 29 junior high school graduates for their hard work. He thanked ALS facilitators, education partners, and prison teachers for making the program possible. 'Through initiatives like ALS, we give hope, empower PDL-learners to rewrite their life stories, and help them become productive members of society,' Anglo said. Certificates of completion were awarded by District ALS Focal Person Francisco Alinio, with official recognition from Public Schools District Supervisor Dr. Genalin Alinio. Keynote speaker Donalyn De Guzman Jamilla encouraged the graduates to continue learning throughout their lives. Meawhile, EPSA I Odesca Salazar commended BJMP personnel for implementing programs that help PDLs build better futures. The ceremony also marked the success of the Silid-Kulay ng Pag-asa classroom project, which was funded through proceeds from an October 2024 fun run. By February 2025, it had enrolled 52 PDLs, 23 in elementary and 29 in junior high school.
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Kapatid spox banned from entering CIW due to alleged repeated violations —BuCor
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Monday defended the banning of Fides Lim, the spokesperson of political prisoner group Kapatid, from entering the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW), saying it did so due to repeated violations and unruly behavior. In a letter sent to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla dated July 12, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said Lim has been banned since April 29 after a thorough investigation. The bureau said it found alleged repeated instances of 'defiance, arrogance, and disruptive conduct towards corrections officers, including high-ranking officials, during visits at the New Bilibid Prison' from February 2024 to October 2024. 'There are procedures to follow when visiting a PDL, and we treat everyone the same. No special treatment; all are equal,' Catapang said in a statement. 'We have to maintain order and adhere to security protocols within the correctional system to ensure a safe environment for both staff and PDLs,' he added. This came after Lim asked the Department of Justice to investigate why she was denied entry while delivering food to a person deprived of liberty (PDL) last week. GMA News Online has asked Lim for comment but has yet to receive a response as of posting time. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
PDL artworks up for auction at Leon Gallery
The artworks of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) will be featured at the Leon Gallery in Makati City from July 12 to 18, 2025 in the run-up to a special auction on July 19. (Photo from BAGA FB post) The artworks of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) will be featured at the Leon Gallery in Makati City from July 12 to 18 in the run-up to a special auction on July 19 at 2 p.m. In a statement, the Bagong Buhay Group of Artists (BAGA), a community of former PDLs and individuals from marginalized sections of society united by their transformative journey through art, said the auction will feature the the winners, finalists, and entries from the First National PDL Art Competition, which was held from July to October 2024, as well as artworks by the BAGA. The competition was participated in by more than 180 PDLs from various jails and correctional facilities across the country and spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council. The council is composed of the Supreme Court, Department of Justice, and Department of Interior and Local Government. The Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda also took part in the event. 'The competition and the auction aim to highlight the artistic talents of PDLs and provide a unique platform for them to showcase not only the rehabilitative power of art but also their exceptional talent and creativity,' BAGA said in a statement. Miranda said that the Leòn Gallery, through its director Jaime Ponce de Leon, agreed to waive commissions from the auction, which means 100% of the proceeds will go to the PDL artists and their families. "This auction is not only our way of giving back to the community, but our way of celebrating these up-and-coming talents in the hopes of giving them the chance to really flourish and thrive through their creativity,' de Leon said. The panel of judges for the art competition was composed of Salvador Ching of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Jualim Vela of the Department of Humanities of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and Liping Zheng, an artist and retired senior officer of the Asian Development Bank. "Through this activity, we hope to emphasize that incarceration is not the end-all and be-all of the Philippine justice system, but rather a step toward the rehabilitation and reintegration of PDLs into society," said Joey De Leon, president of BAGA and former PDL. 'Through this special auction facilitated by Leon Gallery, the quality of PDL artworks will be elevated so that people will patronize them not only out of empathy for their plight but also because of their artistic quality,' he added. De Leon founded BAGA in 2021 to assist ex-PDLs in their reintegration into mainstream society.—Llanesca Panti/LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
04-07-2025
- GMA Network
BJMP: 7 PDLs earn college degrees behind bars, 35 currently enrolled
Seven persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have earned college degrees while in detention, and 35 more are currently enrolled in higher education programs—part of a sweeping initiative by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to rehabilitate inmates through education, legal aid, and improved jail conditions. Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas public briefing, BJMP spokesperson Jail Superintendent Jayrex Bustinera said the agency is ramping up partnerships with educational and justice institutions to equip PDLs for reintegration into society and reduce repeat offenses. 'It boosts the morale, and improves the rehabilitation of the PDLs para kapag sila ay lumaya, hindi na sila mag-commit ng crime upon release,' he said. (It boosts morale and improves rehabilitation so that when they are released, they're less likely to reoffend.) Through collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the BJMP has made entrepreneurship courses accessible behind bars. 'May 35 presently enrolled behind bars, at sila ang mga naka-enroll sa entrepreneurship courses. Ito ang majority dito sa PUP, pakikipag-ugnayan ng ating Manila City Jail," the BJMP official said. (There are 35 PDLs enrolled in college, mostly in entrepreneurship courses through PUP in coordination with Manila City Jail.) Bustinera also cited support from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which provide Alternative Learning System (ALS) education and vocational certifications to PDLs. 'Sa CHED, nakapagtapos tayo ng 7 PDL ng college at ongoing 30 plus na enrolled in college education.' (Through CHED, seven PDLs have graduated, and over 30 more are currently enrolled.) To support this learning, the BJMP has begun improving digital infrastructure for online and hybrid classes. 80,000 inmates released, congestion drops 296% Over the past year, more than 80,000 PDLs have been released, contributing to a dramatic 296% drop in jail congestion nationwide. 'Meron po tayong humigit 80,000 na PDL na pinalaya natin through our paralegal services. Ito po yung mga jail officers natin na nakikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga korte, sa kanilang mga abogado para mapabilis ang paglilitis ng kanilang kaso,' Bustinera said. (We released over 80,000 PDLs through paralegal services, with officers coordinating with courts and lawyers to speed up trials.) 'Bumaba ho ng 296% ang ating congestion rate. Matatandaan, galing po ito sa 314–334% last year hanggang 600% back in 2018.' (Our congestion rate dropped 296%. It was 314–334% last year and reached 600% in 2018.) The BJMP worked closely with the Supreme Court, Public Attorney's Office (PAO), Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and law schools under Justice Zone programs to fast-track the release of qualified or overstaying detainees. 'Ito po yung pakikipag-ugnayan rin sa ating mga korte para mabigyan sila ng hearing… at mabigyan ng pagkakataon ng other modes of release katulad ng recognizance, ng bail.' (This includes coordination with courts to ensure hearings and explore other release options like recognizance and bail.) Bustinera proudly reported that BJMP now has zero overstaying PDLs under its custody. 'Wala po tayong overstaying na PDL. Lahat po na may sentensya di na po natin pinapatagal. Kung the moment na release na sila dapat lumaya na sila,' he noted. (We have no overstaying PDLs. Once a detainee has a release order, they are freed immediately.) Jail construction helps ease overcrowding The BJMP's decongestion drive is reinforced by ongoing infrastructure expansion, especially in highly congested areas. Out of 484 jail facilities nationwide, 142 are newly built, while over 40 more are under construction. 'So ito po primarily din bukod sa paralegal efforts… ito yung isang major contributor din ang pag-decline ng ating siksikan sa loob ng ating piitan,' he added. (Aside from legal aid, facility expansion is a major factor in reducing jail overcrowding.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
04-07-2025
- GMA Network
Around 1k inmates released from June to July 2025
A total of 1,004 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from various prisons and penal farms nationwide were released from June 13 to July 3, 2025, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Friday. BuCor said this brings the total number of released PDLs under the current administration to 24,583. Data from the bureau showed that 423 were from various compounds in the New Bilibid Prison, 52 from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW), 1 from CIW-Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, and 10 from CIW-Mindanao. Around 136 were from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, 109 from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, 50 from the Leyte Regional Prison, 110 from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, and 113 from the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm. Aside from this, it said that 61 were released due to acquittal, 16 due to probation, 16 due to habeas corpus, 94 due to parole, 1 due to bail, 1 due to cash bond, 459 due to expired sentence not covered by Department Order (DO) 652, and 356 due to expired sentence approved by the justice secretary. Under DO 652, the bureau said that the release of PDLs incarcerated in national penitentiaries with expired sentences shall be approved by the BuCor director general or his duly authorized representative. Meanwhile, the release of PDLs sentenced to life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua or those classified as high-risk or high-profile shall be implemented only upon prior approval of the justice secretary. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
