The Department of Justice (DOJ) has signed the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law, aiming to improve the welfare of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and revitalize the country’s corrections system.
According to the DOJ, the revised guidelines ensure that all PDLs, regardless of the crimes committed, can avail of the benefits under the law.
“This manifesto is a reflection of this administration’s unwavering commitment to upholding and fostering the welfare of our PDLs by delivering compassionate justice with paramount consideration for human dignity and human rights,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla.
One of the significant changes in the revised IRR is the clear framework for how GCTA is credited to PDLs, with specific deductions based on the number of years served in prison.
Under Rule IV, PDLs will receive a daily sentence deduction: 20 days for the first two years, 23 days for the third to fifth year, 25 days for the sixth to tenth year, and 30 days for each subsequent year.
The updated rules also cover other allowances such as the Time Allowance for Study, Teaching, and Mentoring (TASTM), Special Time Allowance for Loyalty (STAL), and provisions for immediate release of PDLs under preventive imprisonment.
The revised IRR will take effect 15 days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.
The signing ceremony, which took place at the Bureau of Corrections on December 13, was attended by officials from the DOJ and Department of the Interior and Local Government, both of whom pledged to fully enforce the new rules within their respective jurisdictions.
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