DOJ Usec. Margarita Gutierez
Over 900 women persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) received a vital lifeline this week as the Department of Justice Action Center (DOJAC) mobilized a massive legal caravan to address jail congestion and fast-track the release of eligible inmates.
The two-day Katarungan Caravan, held from 15-16 October 2026, specifically targeted inmates who may be overstaying their sentences due to bureaucratic delays, incomplete records, or lack of legal representation.
Some 350 volunteer lawyers, law students, and paralegals descended upon the facility to review case files, compute time allowances, and draft urgent release petitions.
The massive volunteer turnout filled a critical gap for DOJAC, which normally operates with just three internal lawyers and one Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) representative.
Department of Justice officials emphasized that true justice requires ensuring that individuals do not spend a single day longer in prison than mandated by law.
"If their sentence is served and there is no longer a legal basis for them to remain here, let us help them gain freedom and reunite with their families. That is their right," said Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, who oversees DOJAC.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida reaffirmed that the government's prosecutorial duties do not end at a conviction. "The work of the DOJ does not terminate with filing a case. That is not true justice. It is also our duty to ensure that no PDL remains in prison beyond their rightful sentence," Vida stated.
The operation marks one of the largest collaborative jail-delivery initiatives of the year, bringing together state agencies, the private bar, and academia.
The initiative was executed in close coordination with the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) and CIW leadership.
Legal support came from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) chapters in Quezon City and Rizal-San Juan-Mandaluyong (RSM), alongside the Human Settlements and Adjudication Commission (HSAC).
Hundreds of law students and legal aid volunteers were fielded from top institutions, including Arellano Law School, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), Philippine Christian University (PCU), and the Fraternal Order of Utopia.
Launched initially in 2024, the Katarungan Caravan is part of the DOJ's decentralized justice program, designed to bypass traditional court backlogs by bringing free legal clinics directly into marginalized communities and overcrowded correctional facilities nationwide.
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