Section 11 and 12 Plea Bargain (New Guidelines)

I'm not very acquainted with Philippine laws but I have a friend very close to me that needs legal advise. Please help. Here's the story:

He's trial is under Sections 11 and 12 which is bailable. He posted a cash bail after a month of detention and was temporarily free for more than a year now as the trial is ongoing. (This took very long due to many cancellations on schedule of trial.) Now, we've heard about the new guidelines regarding the plea bargain under this section. We're not sure if this could be a good news. We thought at first that he will be free at last but from his latest visit to court, the public lawyer told him that he needs to be back to prison for months then rehab for another 6 months I think. My question is:
* Does the days not counted when he was temporarily free due to his bail?
* Is there any way that he don't have to go back to prison? (He's changed a LOT already and you can be 100% sure that his not into drugs now. His friends and family can testify for that).

Your thoughts will be highly appreciated. You might be curiuos but he tried to ask these to his lawyer but unfortunately, the answers were not very hopeful. A little hope could change a lot. I'm just concern with my friend that he might breakdown.

Thank you!

if this is drugs, he shouldn't be required to do jail time if the court allows him to undergo rehab, but it may be he has some other offense and the court requires jail.