MANILA — Nearly 1,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) may be recommended to be granted executive clemency this holiday season, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday.

Justice Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Mico Clavano said this is part of the agency’s jail decongestion efforts.

“Ang ginawa po ni Secretary on the President’s birthday and on Christmas, mayroon po tayong binibigay na listahan sa PPA (Parole and Probation Administration); and then eventually, aakyat po ‘yan sa Executive Secretary," Clavano said during a Palace press briefing.

“Last year, it was close to one thousand. So, we’re expecting a similar (number) this year,” he said.

Those qualified for the amnesty program include elderly PDLs and those with disabilities, he said.

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The Supreme Court, meanwhile, also has parallel effort to decongest the court dockets by promulgating rules on custodial hearings and requiring bail.

“To make more efficient, we have digitalization efforts – so, we have the National Justice Information System which is a system that cuts across all sectors of the justice sector or the justice system where each agency, depending kung ano iyong role nila sa justice system, will have limited access to that database or that system," Clavano said.

"That will further increase the effectivity and efficiency of iyong court dockets and the way that the courts resolve cases dahil po dati papel talaga iyan ang dinadala sa korte – ngayon if it's all online, if it’s all under one system, the courts will not have to wait for the physical documents anymore and we can rely already on the system,” he said.

Executive clemency could range from absolute to conditional pardon with or without parole conditions. It could also cover reprieve or deferment of implementation of the sentence, and commutation or reduction of sentence.

— Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

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