Over 31,000 PDLs to cast votes in the 2025 elections, says BJMP

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MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said more than 31,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are set to cast their votes in the May 12 national and local elections.

This number is out of the over 115,000 PDLs in the bureau’s custody.

BJMP Spokesperson Supt. Jayrex Bustinera gave the figures in a press conference at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headquarters in Quezon City on Friday.

Bustinera further said 393 of the BJMP’s 484 jails nationwide will set up special polling precincts.

“Ibig sabihin, hindi na lalabas ng kulungan yung ating mga nakakulong na kapatid kundi doon na sila buboto sa loob,” the BJMP spokesperson explained.

(This means, our PDLs will no longer have to go outside the jails. Instead, they will just vote inside.)

“Sa may mga naka-register na mga nakakulong na less than 50, sila ay dadalhin sa labas ng kulungan sa mga election precinct natin sa labas,” Bustinera noted.

(In the facilities with less than 50 registered PDLs, they will be taken to election precincts outside the jails.)

He added this meant that 464 PDLs are going to vote in poll precincts outside the prisons.

READ: BJMP ready to secure voting in jails, chief assures

The BJMP also said seven PDLs are running in the 2025 midterm elections: Two for vice mayor, two for municipal councilor, one for congressional district representative, one for mayor and one for senator.