New Bilibid Prison chaplain to look into plight of prisoners

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno Aquino III was asked yesterday to look into the plight of prisoners and to be generous in granting clemency.

Monsignor Bobby Olaguer, New Bilibid Prison chaplain, said the estimated 21,000 inmates at the national penitentiary are almost three times the 7,500 during the Aquino and Ramos administrations.

“Before if there are occasions such as Christmas and Independence Day, the president would sign 300 to 500 (presidential clemency) but with President Arroyo, (she signs) less than 50,” he said.

Speaking over Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas, Olaguer said Mrs. Arroyo was lazy in signing presidential clemencies.

“She prioritizes the elderly, but what if the inmate was imprisoned at a young age then they would be imprisoned for a very long time,” he said.

“We are now relying on the new president, Senator Aquino, to be generous in granting presidential clemencies which is his right. It is his prerogative and it is according to the law.”

Olaguer said presidential clemency can be done in the form of parole, commutation of sentence, lowering of sentence or release of the prisoner under certain conditions.

“It was also only President Arroyo who provided clemency for kidnapping and drug cases which is good,” he said.

Olaguer hopes that the next administration would allocate a bigger budget for the national penitentiary to cover the meals of inmates and to improve facilities like hospitals and medical equipment.

Meanwhile, Olaguer said Mrs. Arroyo has named good directors for the Bureau of Corrections like retired generals Oscar Calderon and Dionisio Santiago.