A lawmaker who also heads a nongovernment organization engaged in providing computers to jails, on Friday said the upgrade of information technology linkage of detention facilities is urgently needed as he noted the release of more than 4,000 detainees in a week “largely through videoconferencing.”
At the same time, Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said computers have allowed inmates to consult their lawyers even during the quarantine period.
Recently, the Supreme Court said that 4,683 detainees were released from April 30 to May 8 through videoconference hearings. A total of 9,731 inmates had so far been released over a period of six weeks through various circulars that the SC had issued to address jail congestion and mitigate the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019.
