Duterte plans to grant pardon to inmates – DOJ chief

MANILA, Philippines - Convicts seeking executive clemency may find hope in the administration of President Duterte.

The President intends to grant pardon during his term after hundreds of qualified inmates failed to get reprieve during the previous administration. 

“Yes, I know for a fact that the President plans to grant clemency during his term,” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II told The STAR.

Duterte, known to be tough on criminals – especially drug traffickers – assumed the office of the President last June 30 with at least 47 pending applications for executive clemency, which were forwarded by the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) for approval since November 2014 but were not acted upon by the previous administration.

Aguirre also confirmed that actor Robin Padilla is among the 87 new applicants for pardon being reviewed by the BPP.

Padilla, Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla in real life, has applied for absolute pardon for his 1994 conviction for illegal possession of firearms, for which he was sentenced to up to 21 years in prison.

He served three years at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa before being released in April 1997 by then president Fidel Ramos, who granted him conditional pardon.

He has filed for pardon grant to be able to regain his civil rights, including his right to vote and to run for public office.

As of November last year, the board has listed at least 473 convicts seeking executive clemency.

In the Aquino administration, only nine inmates were granted clemency. 

In July 2011, the Palace issued pardon to convicted kidnapper Mariano Umbrero who, however, died of cancer four days before his release papers were signed.

In December 2012, Aquino granted pardon to eight elderly inmates. Six of them were given conditional pardon – Agustin Caballero, 71; Nicanor Medel, 72; Clarita Miranda, 71; Pablito Estrada, 73, Felipe Gahit, 72 and Venerando Generaldo, 83 – while the sentences of two others, Aurelio Amolong and Celerino Sanchez, were reduced.

Aquino reportedly planned to grant executive clemency to qualified inmates during Pope Francis’ visit in January last year as a “gift” to the pontiff. 

The DOJ submitted a list of inmates recommended for pardon, but the Palace was not able to finish the vetting before the pope left.