A TOTAL of 43,171 former jail inmates, or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), have already been released from various prison nationwide through videoconference hearings, which has become the “new normal” in court proceedings amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a report to Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said the figure covers the period from March 17 to July 3 and also included children in conflict with the law (CCWL).
Marquez said the PDLs, who have served the minimum period of their jail terms, were released after hearings, either on bail, or on their recognizance.
PDLs are those charged in court with criminal offenses and violations of city and municipal ordinances and are detained while petitioning to post bail, attending hearings, and awaiting the decisions on their cases.
A CCWL is “anyone under 18 years old who comes into contact with the justice system as a result of being suspected or accused of committing an offense.”
Videoconferencing is one of the measures being implemented by the SC to continue to resolve pending cases and decongest jails and detention facilities during the pandemic.
Marquez earlier said videoconferencing would be utilized “while there is public health emergency, or even after, depending on the Court’s decision.
He added that videoconferencing will be the new normal during public health emergency for the judiciary.
The method has long been practiced and adopted during court trial of cases in the technologically advanced countries like the United States to address delays in court proceedings.
The SC has given more than 1,500 trial courts the go-signal to conduct proceedings via videoconferencing while the magistrates are still working on the rules of court on videoconferencing to institutionalize the use of the online system in all courts in both civil and criminal cases.
In his report, Marquez said that as of July 3, a total of 8,909 PDLs were released in the National Capital Region; 3,621 in Region 1; 1,796 in Region 2; 6,203 in Region 3; 7,443 in Region 4; 1,192 in Region 5; 1,431 in Region 6; 4,528 in Region 7; 1,183 in Region 8; 1,158 in Region 9; 2,537 in Region 10; 2,168 in Region 11; and 1,002 in Region 12.