MANILA: The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced on Monday that a total of 7,707 inmates are set to be released in 2024, with a significant number having already been freed between November 26 and the end of December this year. This large-scale release is part of an ongoing effort to manage prison populations and implement recent legal decisions.

According to Philippines News Agency, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang detailed the breakdown of the 1,000 recently released persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). Among them, 625 had completed their maximum sentences, 134 were acquitted, one was granted a motion for release, 38 were placed on probation, 190 received parole, 11 were released via habeas corpus, and one was transferred to a local jail. The released individuals came from various correctional facilities, including the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City and the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, among others.

Additionally, Catapang addressed the implications of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law, noting that inmates convicted of heinous crimes and now eligible under recent Supreme Court rulings will be released at the start of next year. This move complies with procedural guidelines that require publication before the law's changes take effect. The GCTA law offers prisoners a reduction of their sentences as a reward for good behavior, a policy designed to incentivize rehabilitation and reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities.

Catapang explained that the changes stem from the effectivity clause of the law's implementing rules and regulations. These require the new rules to be published in at least two newspapers and filed with the University of the Philippines-Office of the National Administrative Register, in accordance with the Revised Administrative Code of 1987. This procedural step ensures transparency and adherence to legal standards as the BuCor continues to implement reforms.