The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) said this week they intend to release within 10 to 15 days the convicts who had been released on parole but voluntarily returned to the prison facility following President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning to GCTA-freed prisoners.
Corrections technical officer II Levi Evangelista, IPPF spokesperson, said this was because of an order issued by the justice department which clarified that parolees were not covered by the president’s directive.
“We are just waiting for the release ng kanilang discharge from prison at mauuna yong parole na ma-i-release. Sabi nga ni DOJ, 10-15 days,” Evangelista said.
Prison authorities did not state how many of the 182 surrenderees were released on parole and not through GCTA law. They have earlier acknowledged that even parolees had surrendered to them for apparent fear of government reprisal.
Evangelista said that the new discharge papers of the 5tçparolees will be signed by new BuCor director general Gerald Bantag and not the prison superintendent in accordance to the order of DOJ.
Evangelista said that senior superintendent Geraldo Aro gave an assurance to the returnees that those grantees of parole and pardon will be released soon.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, September 26, returnees inside the IPPF questioned their inclusion along with GCTA freed individuals subject for re-computation.
“Yong ibang inmates kasi like yong parole is nakabalita sila na hindi dapat daw sila sumurender, ngunit ang paliwanag ni superintendent Aro na ang inyong mga tinanggap na release paper ay hindi na valid, antayin natin na issue’han kayo ng bagong discharge from prison. Ang pipirma non ay si director general Bantag, hindi na superintendent ang pipirma,” he said.
The prison management had an open forum for the questions of returnees where they raised their inclusion with the grantees of GCTA.
“Yong PNP ay tuloy-tuloy sa surveillance, may confusions lang sa name sa NBP, by October most probably yong mga hindi sumurender (aarestuhin), pero bini-verify pa kasi, sinisigurado ng BuCor yong names,” he said.
He said that they will only base on the addresses included in their carpeta, however, some of the released individuals have changed their addresses so it will be a challenge for the BuCor and law enforcement agencies to locate them.
“Mahirap ano na yong iba ay hindi talaga doon sa kanilang mga address based on their carpeta umuuwi, so may mga PDL (persons deprived of liberty) na lumaya na hindi na umuuwi doon sa kanilang lugar basically yong ibang rason kasi nandon yong complainant sa barangay din nila kaya lumipat sila ng tirahan, doon kami mahihirapan,” he said.
Fugitives that will be arrested starting October will be detained in disciplinary cell and not in the Building 4 where returnees are detained.
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