(Eagle News)–Bureau of Corrections Director Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday, Aug. 22, urged the public not to assume former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez will be released from jail.
In an interview over GMA’s Unang Hirit, Faeldon said the BuCor has yet to compute Sanchez’s good conduct time allowances.
Faeldon issued the remark following outrage on social media over what was believed to be the impending release of Sanchez, who was convicted of raping Aileen Sarmenta and killing her and her friend Allan Gomez in 1995.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sanchez and 10,000 other convicts “may” be released following a June ruling of the Supreme Court that said the law on good conduct time allowance–which was passed during the time of then-President Noynoy Aquino–shall be applied retroactively.
This means that qualified convicts who were meted out a final judgement even before 2013, when the law was passed, can benefit from the law.
Then-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and then-Interior Secretary Mar Roxas had recommended that the law be applied prospectively, or after the enactment of the law.
Senate President Tito Sotto, for his part, said he wants a review of the law to exclude inmates convicted of heinous crimes.
“Tutal, ayaw ng death penalty, e di die in jail,” Sotto said. With a report from Meanne Corvera
