THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Davao Region said that they are ready to submit the profiles of inmates once President Rodrigo Duterte issues a formal directive following his announcement that he will give a presidential pardon to elderly prisoners aging 80 above to address congested jails.
Speaking during the regular press conference on Wednesday at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) conference, BJMP-Davao Jail Superintendent Grace Taculin said that that they are now prepared to provide the list of prisoners if requested.
"We have prepared the profile of the inmates who are 80 above in case they will ask in accordance to the pronouncement of the President," she said.
She revealed that there are three female and 20 male inmates in the city jail who aged above 80.
Taculin recounted that when the President was still city mayor, he visits the jail every year and when he sighted female senior citizen inside, he would immediately call his legal counsel to help the inmate.
According to her, Duterte has already helped five inmates who were provided a private lawyer to hasten their court trial.
Earlier, when the President was asked if he will grant similar executive clemency like the absolute pardon he gave to Robin Padilla for the aging detainees, he said that he is still contemplating on it.
"All the elderly and those who have illness [and] those with rheumatism- they can no longer run [especially] those [who are] 80-years-old above. If they still want, if they still have family to go, I will grant them pardon also so that they can return," Duterte said.
Meanwhile, Taculin said that it is just accurate to pardon these detainees and give them back to their families considering their health condition.
However, she admitted that what makes the process challenging is that some of the inmates still have on-going trials and pardon can only be granted to those who already have a sentence and been proven guilty.