President Rodrigo Duterte promises to grant pardon to qualified prisoners in time for the holidays.
The Filipino leader during the tree lighting ceremony of the Malacañang Palace yesterday announced that detainees 70-years-old and above and suffering from incurable diseases may receive pardon on humanitarian grounds before Christmas Day.
”There is no point of detaining a person who is old and sick. I find it very awkward feeling. I’m uncomfortable. So all the elderly, ailing, you can go,” Duterte said.
Philippine Presidents have the capacity to pardon or reduce the sentences of persons convicted of a crime. Traditionally, the Palace releases the list of pardoned criminals during the Christmas season.
According to reports, there are 25 elderly political detainees and 140 who are sickly.
”If they are ready to be released and will be accepted by their families, I will release them before Christmas time,” he said.
The president also said that he is willing to pardon political detainees if the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) can show peace agreement “signed by the Republic of the Philippines representatives and the communist.”
The CCP asked for the pardon of 130 members of their party who are currently being held as political prisoners.
”I know the left have vision for our country. I used to cross the ideological border because I was a student once and I saw the iniquity, the sense of uselessness of the Filipinos, and I saw also the other side how should it be in the government,” President Duterte explained. —Philippine News Agency
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