Gerardo “Gerry” dela Peña, the Philippines’ oldest political prisoner, was released from the New Bilibid Prison on Sunday, June 30, at 85 years old, ending nearly 12 years of incarceration.
According to a Rappler report, his release was a result of persistent campaign efforts and recent prison reforms aimed at addressing the severe overcrowding in the country’s jails.
Gerry, a long-time community organizer from Bicol and former Camarines Norte chairperson of the rights group SELDA, was detained in 2013 on murder charges for incidents that allegedly occurred in 2009. He has maintained his innocence, attributing his imprisonment to a fabricated case. “I suffered for nearly 12 years without knowing what sin I had allegedly committed. They just filed a trumped-up case against me,” Gerry said in the same Rappler report.
His ordeal began during the dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1982 when he was first arrested, detained, and tortured. A revision of parole and clemency guidelines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the dictator’s son, facilitated his eventual release.
The revised guidelines, introduced in December 2023, allowed sickly prisoners aged 70 and above, even those convicted of heinous crimes, to avail of clemency if they had served at least 10 years of their sentence. This amendment paved the way for Gerry’s commutation.
Gerry’s release marks a significant milestone for human rights advocates, who continue to highlight the plight of political prisoners in the Philippines. As of June 2024, there are still 755 political prisoners in the country, many suffering from illnesses and old age.
Upon his release, Gerry returned to his home in Camarines Norte, eager to spend his remaining years with his 81-year-old wife Pilar, their children, and grandchildren. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reunite with his family and plans to assist in their livelihood by tending to their fishpond and coconut trees. “I think I will just serve my family until the day I die,” Gerry said.