Philippines’ Duterte wants 1,700 freed inmates locked up

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, on Wednesday, said 1,700 convicts, who were freed early for good behaviour, should be sent back to prison after questions were raised over the legality of their release.

Duterte told a news conference that the 1,700 inmates, some of them imprisoned for rape and murder, had 15 days to surrender or they would be considered fugitives.

“If I were you, I would surrender to the nearest police or military detachment wherever you are now,’” Duterte said.

He added that he would offer a bounty for inmates who failed to do so.

“I will place one million pesos ($19,065) per head, dead or alive,’’ he said.

Duterte demanded the resignation of his prisons chief, accusing him of disobeying an order not to release inmates convicted of heinous crimes.

A 2014 law allows for prisoners to be released early for good behaviour.

It is being scrutinised by lawmakers after public outrage triggered by reports that a former mayor convicted of raping and murdering two university students in 1993 could have walked free before his prison term ended.

Close to 2,000 inmates serving a life sentence have been freed under the 2014 law, Sen. Franklin Drilon said on Sunday.

But their release orders were invalid because they were not approved by the Department of Justice Secretary.