BuCor gets new lawyers to aid in inmates’ release

EFFORTS of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to speed up the release of qualified inmates got a boost yesterday with the assignment of 15 lawyers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help their legal needs.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the 15 will work with lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the Legal Aid Society.

Catapang said the DOJ lawyers will “render legal services like drafting of requests for qualified persons deprived of liberty for Good Conduct Time Allowance and parole, preparation of indorsements to BuCor and other similar services.”

“This would strengthen the ‘Bilis Laya’ program of the administration and at the same time, (will be) a big boost to our decongestion program,” he also said.

On average, Catapang said the agency is releasing 500 to 1,000 inmates a month.

The inmates are released either through acquittal, completion of maximum sentence, parole, or pardon.

“Based on our data, there were at least 2,451 persons deprived of liberty from June 2022 to date who have served and suffered years in detention in our various operating prisons and penal farms only to be released due to acquittal from their case,” the BuCor chief said.

Among the inmates who regained his freedom after acquittal was Gideon Señarosa, who was detained on June 30, 1995 and was committed to one of the BuCor’s facilities on April 9, 2005 by virtue of a commitment order issued by a court for murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced to reclusion perpetua.

Señarosa was later acquitted of the cases and was discharged in February 2023 after being incarcerated for 27 years, seven months and 14 days.

Inmate Arman Emam Macabalang who was sentenced to life imprisonment for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, was recorded with the shortest days of imprisonment before his acquittal. He spent 11 months and ten days in detention.

Macabalang was discharged from prison on September 7, 2023.