Convicts who have yet to surrender down to 19 — DoJ
THE NUMBER of illegally released convicts who have yet to surrender is down to 19, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said yesterday.
Most of the felons have just a few more months to serve in prison, the Justice chief said. The Bureau of Corrections had released about 2,000 ineligible felons because they were convicted of heinous crimes.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte last month ordered the convicts to surrender by Sept. 19 or they will be hunted down “dead or alive.”
Justice Undersecretary Markk L. Perete has said they were reviewing the list of felons because some of them were found to have been released not for good conduct but after a pardon or parole.
Mr. Duterte earlier fired his prison chief Nicanor E. Faeldon for allowing the release of about 2,000 felons convicted of various heinous crimes. The law disqualifies them from early release for good conduct.
The Justice department and Department of the Interior and Local Government have revised the rules implementing the law on early release for good conduct, disqualifying recidivists, escapees, habitual delinquents and convicts of heinous crimes.
Eight convicts have asked the Supreme Court to void the new rules for being unconstitutional. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
