(Eagle News)–Former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez maintains he is innocent of the crimes he was convicted of, and for which he has been sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua.
“Ako’y nakikisimpatiya doon sa mga Gomez at doon sa Sarmenta,” he said in an interview with GMA7, referring to the families of Aileen Sarmenta and her friend Allan Gomez.
Sanchez was convicted of the rape-slay of Sarmenta and the killing of Gomez in the 1990s.
According to Sanchez, he “pities” the families of the two deceased University of the Philippines Los Baños students.
He said, however, that he was also a “victim.”
“Kung sila ma’y hindi maniwala na ako’y biktima, nasa kanila na ‘yon.Kasi hanggang ngayon wala pa silang katarungan eh,” Sanchez said.
“Kung ako ay may kasalanan, on the spot sumpain na Niya ako ngayon,” he added.
Angry netizens initiated a petition for Sanchez to be kept in jail after reports he could be released following a June Supreme Court ruling Republic Act 10592, which increased the good conduct time allowances given to inmates, should be applied retroactively.
This means inmates who were meted out a final judgment prior to the enactment of the law in 2013 could benefit from the law.
The Palace later clarified, however, that Sanchez was excluded from the coverage of the law as it was “categorical” in its exclusion of those convicted of heinous crimes, recidivists, habitual delinquents and escapees.
