President Rodrigo R. Duterte (Presidential Photo)
MANILA -- President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday said he wanted senior inmates 70 years old and up considered for parole.
"Ako I’ll ask the administration, whoever will take over or the Secretary of Justice to fast-track ‘yung mga may sakit na at talagang matatanda na (to fast-track [cases] of those who are ill and old). Ako mag-set ako (I would set), 70 years old or 75, 70," he said during a press briefing on Tuesday night.
Duterte said due to old age or illnesses, these inmates can no longer run nor commit crime.
"Wala na ‘yan eh. Lalo na ‘yung mga 80s. What’s the --- what’s the use of keeping them there?" he said.
His statement was in response to questions whether he would consider the release of elderly inmates at the New Bilibid Prison, amid the issue on the early release of some heinous crimes convicts under the Good Conduct Time Allowance law.
Duterte earlier set an ultimatum for some 2,000 heinous crime convicts, who were released under the GCTA law, to surrender.
"Basta ako sinabi ko (I said), I will just set the timeline and then the one million prize is available to those who can capture them dead or alive," he said. (PNA)
