MANILA, Philippines – Bumabalangkas na ang Supreme Court ng bagong panuntunan para sa conditional release ng Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) na hindi kaya magbayad kaya ibababa na ang bail requirement sa P10,000.
Sa pagbisita ni Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh sa Cebu City Jail Female Dormitory (CCJFD), inihayag nito na aatasan ng SC ang mga hukom na suriin din ang iba pang dahilan kung bakit hindi kaya na magpiyansa gaya ng kawalan ng resources, unang offense, edad at kung buntis ang akusado.
Batay sa bagong rules na binubuo, hanang dinidinig ang kaso ng isang akusado, maaaring makalaya ang isang akusado kung makikita ang mga nabanggit na dahilan.
Si Justice Singh na co-chair ng Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary (CGRJ) ay bumisita sa CCJFD upang alamin ang kondisyon ng mga PDL maging ang pasilidad sa Cebu upang makabuo ng Manual and Protocol for Handling of Cases of Women in Conflict with the Law.
“[N]apakalaki pong pagkukulang ng ating mga pinatutupad na alituntunin, na yung mga nabibilang sa inyo na pwede sana magpiyansa, hindi makapagpiyansa kasi wala tayong kakayanan. Dahil po dito, nakipagusap po si Chief Justice [Alexander G.] Gesmundo kay Secretary of Justice [Jesus Crispin C.] Remulla ng [Department of Justice], at binabaan po ni Secretary Remulla [ang kailangang bayaran]. Ngayon po, pag indigent, hanggang sa sampung [libong piso] para lang makalaya yung pwede namang makalaya, para habang kayo ay linilitis pa, innocent pa kayo, hindi pa kayo kailangan mapiit. Kaya lang kahit yung sampung libo hindi kaya, walang pagkukunan,” ani Singh.
Nakipag-usap na aniya si Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo kay Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla para ibaba ang itinatakdang piyansa.
“Now, if the accused is indigent and they can be granted bail, bail should only be at ten thousand pesos, so that while your case is being tried, while you are still innocent, you do not have to be jailed. However, ten thousand is still too much, xxx for those with no resources. This is why the Supreme Court is creating new rules, xxx our Rules on Criminal Procedure, together with Justice Midas Marquez. In these new rules, xxx if you have a case, and you can be granted bail but you lack the resources to afford it, our judges will be required to look at the factors, such as if you are a first offender, xxx the nature of your case, xxx your age, are you pregnant, xxx are you a mother who is still taking care of young children, xxx or are you the breadwinner of your family[.] These factors will be looked into by our judges, and if such factors are present, instead of confining you while your case is being tried, you can be set free under other safeguards.” Teresa Tavares
