Rody urged: Free old, sick inmates this Christmas

MANILA, Philippines - With less than 40 days before Christmas, release papers of old, sickly and infirm prisoners should now be on their way to Malacañang.

This is what Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said in appealing anew to President Duterte to give “the gift of clemency” next month to frail prisoners who have paid their dues. 

“The President granting parole or pardon to prisoners on humanitarian grounds should be restored as a Malacañang Christmas tradition,” he said. 

Recto noted there is no lack of candidates for executive clemency as the country’s penal system is full of old, infirm, gravely or terminally ill prisoners, especially those who are convicted of non-violent crime. 

He suggested the presidential tradition of releasing prisoners during the holidays should extend to directing agencies to work out the release of detainees awaiting sentencing but have already stayed beyond what would be their maximum time in prison.  

He noted that if Duterte plans to release detained communist rebels soon, a move that will bolster the peace process, “then let the doors through which they shall pass be enjoyed by other prisoners as well.” 

The same template in granting full pardon to actor Robin Padilla can also be used in setting free other prisoners. 

Recto recounted that the power to grant executive clemency was rarely exercised during the Aquino administration despite completed paper work on the cases of recommended recipients.