Former police officer Jimmy Fortaleza was released from detention after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 granted his petition for habeas corpus, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced Friday.
Habeas corpus is a lawful recourse available to anyone seeking to challenge the legality of one’s imprisonment.
In a press statement, BuCor said the court also granted Fortaleza’s petition for computation of Special Time Allowance for Loyalty, which shortened his sentence from 32 years to eight.
Fortaleza has been incarcerated since 2008. According to records, he already spent 10,748 days, or 29 days and five months.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang, Jr. said Fortaleza needs to inform the House Quad Committee about the court’s decision on his case.
Fortaleza appeared at the seventh joint public hearing by the House Quad Committee on Friday still wearing an orange PDL (person deprived of liberty) t-shirt.
He was invited as one of the resource persons in relation to the lawmakers’ ongoing investigation into cases of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration.
BuCor said a copy of the resolution issued by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) was already sent to the appropriate authorities, indicating that Fortaleza is free to go.
“Since we already received the requested authenticated copy of the resolution of the Management, Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC) from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), there is no reason for Fortaleza to remain in our custody,” the BuCor said.
In the Quad Committee hearing on August 29, Fortaleza supported the statements made by Leopoldo Tan and Fernando Magdadaro on the murder of three Chinese drug traffickers in Davao.
