The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) supports the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) position that former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez is ineligible to avail of Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) because “he is categorically excluded to benefit under the law’s coverage.”
Initial reports floated that Sanchez will walk free as one of the thousands to benefit under the provisions of Republic Act No. 10592 or the GCTA Law that provides guidelines on how to compute the GCTA of an inmate which is deducted from his or her total sentence.
“We support DOJ’s stand on the issue as the law is categorical in excluding recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees, and persons charged with heinous crimes from the benefits of its coverage,” says DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
He says that by that condition alone, Sanchez, convicted for raping and murdering UP – Los Baños graduating student Eileen Sarmenta, and killing Allan Gomez, also a student of the same university in 1993, inarguably does not stand a chance of being released anytime soon.
“Sanchez committed rape and double murder. He was responsible for the death of two bright university students. Allowing him to get out early is a mockery of the law and justice system,” he points out.
“Kailangan niyang panagutan hanggang sa huling minuto ang hatol sa kanya. He must serve his entire sentence. Kapag pinalaya natin ‘yan ng maaga, we would have punctured a hole in our own justice system,” he adds.
The DILG Chief explains that the GCTA Law, in fact, bans the convicted rapist and murderer from being released early as the stipulations of the same law prohibits his early release.
“He cannot be released on the basis of GCTA. On the contrary, ang GCTA po mismo ang nagbabawal na palayain ang mga kriminal na tulad niya,” he says.
The DILG supervises the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which controls all city, district, and municipal jails across the country. Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) detained in BJMP-run facilities benefit from the provisions of the GCTA Law.
