Nearly 10,000 inmates freed as Covid-19 hits Philippine jails

This photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows prison inmates sleeping and gesturing in cramped conditions in the crowded courtyard of the Quezon City jail in Manila. Guards and inmates at a notoriously overcrowded Philippine jail tested positive for the coronavirus, officials have said, sparking urgent calls for the release of some prisoners. Nearly 10,000 prison inmates have been released in the Philippines on Saturday (May 2) as the country races to halt coronavirus infections in its overcrowded jails. - AFP

MANILA: Nearly 10,000 prison inmates have been released in the Philippines as the country races to halt Covid-19 (coronavirus) infections in its overcrowded jails, a Supreme Court official said on Saturday (May 2) .

The move follows a directive to lower courts to release those awaiting trial in prison because they could not afford bail, Associate Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor Leonen told reporters.