DOJ to PNP: Hold re-arrest of convicts freed under GCTA law pending cleansing of BuCor list

(Eagle News)–The Department of Justice has asked the Philippine National Police to put on hold the re-arrest of convicts released under the Good Conduct Time Allowance law and who have not yet surrendered.

In an interview over radio dzbb on Friday, Sept. 20, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said the request, which was made on Thursday night, was to give way to the DOJ cleansing of the Bureau of Corrections list that would serve as the authorities’ guide in conducting the re-arrest.

The list contained errors as revealed in a Senate probe looking into the problems in BuCor, with plunder convict Janet Lim Napoles, for instance, who was included among those set to be released under the GCTA law,  seen to have been convicted of rape there.

According to Perete, apart from the fact they don’t want to “waste government resources,” “we also do not want ‘yung possible na incidents where mapu-put in peril both ‘yung life ng hindi naman dapat arestuhin, at the same time ‘yung ating mga kapulisan.”

Perete said they have also asked for the release of those who surrendered even if they were not included in the original BuCor list.

Based on DOJ data, 1717 convicts released under the GCTA law surrendered to authorities before their deadline to do so lapsed at midnight.

BuCor has said 1914 convicts of heinous crimes were released under the law that reduces the sentence of inmates for good conduct.

President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the arrest of convicts under the GCTA law following reports some were released by  BuCor personnel who accepted money in exchange for the same.

A joint DOJ and DILG panel has revised the implementing rules and regulations of the law to explicitly ban convicts of heinous crimes from availing of the law following the controversy.