MANILA - The Department of Justice proposed Thursday the review of the Dangerous Drugs Act as one of the measures to decongest jails with more than 70,000 individuals incarcerated because of drug cases involving “miniscule” amounts of drugs.

Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said during the National Decongestion Summit that threshold amounts must be reviewed.

“Sometimes people are charged with non-bailable offenses even with miniscule amounts so we have to review the threshold amounts and how to afford them bail during the course of the trial so that we don’t congest our jails,” Andres said.

• BJMP jails congested by 397 percent
• Two-thirds of Philippine jails congested, says COA

The two-day summit is being attended by officials of various government agencies led by the Supreme Court, Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Corrections Director General Pio Gregorio Catapang proposed that individuals sentenced to 3 years and below be brought to prisons (facilities managed by the BuCor) instead of jails that are managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Catapang noted the problem of recidivism involving those who were sentenced below three years and were not properly rehabilitated.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

“I think that will better help the society kasi kung magko-commit sila uli ng crime, 'di kawawa naman ang mga maaapektuhan o masasaktan nila,” Catapang said.

Catapang also noted during his presentation during the summit that from July 2022 to December 2023, a total of 10,010 were released under the Bilis Laya Program or the expeditious processing of Persons Deprived of Liberty due for release.

In his closing remarks to end the 2-day summit, Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano emphasized among others, continued prison reforms such as reintegration programs for PDLs.

“These strategies aim to transform our penal system to one that honors individual dignity and rights ultimately aiming to reduce recidivism and shift towards rehabilitative, less punitive approach,” Clavano said.

• Decriminalization of libel, abortion, eyed to decongest jails