MANILA - Most of the prisoners who have surrendered to police under President Rodrigo Duterte's ultimatum for surrender were not heinous crime convicts, according to police data.
As of Wednesday, 523 convicts released under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law have turned themselves in to police, according to Philippine National Police deputy spokesperson Lt. Col. Kimberly Molitas.
Of this figure, 391 were not convicted of heinous crimes. Most were found guilty of theft, acts of lasciviousness, illegal gambling, and physical injuries.
The controversial policy allows the early release of prisoners based on good behavior. On Sept. 4, Duterte ordered some 2,000 heinous crime convicts released under the system to turn themselves in within 15 days, saying they had been wrongfully released.
The ultimatum lapses on Thursday, Sept. 19.
"May mga nag-surrender na not listed. Ibig sabihin po 'yung mga not listed are those who were released na hindi nakalista sa heinous crimes, 'yung ibang offenses na na-release through the GCTA process," she said.
(There were convicts who were not listed. Those not listed were prisoners released through the GCTA who were not convicted of heinous crimes but other offenses.)
The prisoners will still be turned over to the Bureau of Corrections who has jurisdiction over them, Molitas said.
The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has yet to release guidelines on how authorities will implement warrantless arrests for heinous crime convicts who would not surrender before the President's deadline on Thursday.
A total of 964 convicts have been returned to prison as of early Wednesday, according to the BuCor.
-- Report from Zhander Cayabyab, ABS-CBN News
GCTA law, heinous crime convicts, PNP, Philippine National Police, BuCor, Bureau of Corrections