Focus on Elderly Inmates Aged Seventy and Above
- There is a significant number of inmates aged 70 years or older currently serving final sentences.
- The policy emphasizes compassion and humanitarian grounds in favor of elderly inmates.
- This initiative is part of the Arroyo administration’s policy to extend clemency to deserving senior inmates.
Duties of the Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Board of Pardons and Parole
- These agencies are mandated to forward the records of inmates aged 70 years or above who are serving sentences by final judgment to the Office of the President.
- The submission of records is immediate and ongoing.
- Agencies must automatically submit names of inmates as they turn seventy years old.
- These records are intended to facilitate the review of eligibility for executive clemency.
Effectivity and Implementation
- The Memorandum Order takes effect immediately upon issuance.
- It directs the cooperative action of key correctional and parole agencies to ensure prompt submission of inmate records.
Legal Implications and Humanitarian Considerations
- The order highlights the use of executive clemency as a humanitarian tool to alleviate the plight of elderly inmates.
- It institutionalizes a mechanism for the systematic identification and consideration of qualified elderly inmates.
- Reflects a government policy balancing justice with compassion for aging prisoners, acknowledging their special circumstances.