Almost 10,000 prisoners released when COVID-19 hits Philippine jails

MANILA: About 10,000 prisoners have been released in the Philippines as the country rushes to halt coronavirus infections in its overcrowded jails, a Supreme Court official said Saturday (May 2).

The measure follows a directive to lower courts to release those awaiting prison trial because they were unable to post bail, Associate Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor Leonen told reporters.

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“The court is very aware of the congested situation in our prisons,” Leonen told reporters announcing the release of 9,731 inmates.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported in some of the country’s most overcrowded prisons, affecting both inmates and correctional staff.

Social distancing is almost impossible in the country’s prison system, where cells are sometimes filled to five times their capacity due to inadequate infrastructure and a slow and overburdened judicial system.

Overcrowding has become an even bigger problem since President Rodrigo Duterte launched a drug offensive in 2016 that has seen thousands sent to prison.

Those who reported outbreaks include the Quezon City Jail in the capital Manila, a facility so crowded that inmates take turns sleeping on the stairs and on the outdoor basketball courts.

The worst outbreaks so far are in two prisons on the central island of Cebu, where two city jails have announced a combined total of 348 infections among more than 8,000 inmates as of Friday.

The outbreaks have fueled calls by rights groups for the early release of prisoners accused of nonviolent crimes, as well as the sick and elderly.

The Philippines has reported almost 9,000 coronavirus infections and 603 deaths.

CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments