President Duterte was angry when he learned that convicted rapist and murderer former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez could be released earlier due to good conduct.
Malacanang said they are not surprised that Duterte is angry about this, which was disclosed by Sen. Bong Go.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that he was not surprised that Duterte was angry because the law was clear that Sanchez was not qualified to be covered by Republic Act No. 10592.
“I’m not surprised. Why? Because the law is very categorical that those convicted of heinous crimes, among others, are disqualified. They’re not within the coverage of Republic Act 10592,” he said.
“Magagalit siya because if the law says he is disqualified, bakit mo iko-consider?” he added. “‘Di ba, ever since sinasabi natin: If what the law is, will always be the law. Dura lex sed lex. The Executive cannot oppose or abet the law. We will execute it,” he continued.
RA No. 10592 expanded the application of good conduct time allowance for prisoners even during preventive imprisonment and increased the number of days that may be credited for good conduct.
The SC also allowed last June the retroactive application of the law as it benefits detention and convicted prisoners.
Panelo, who served as one of Sanchez’s counsel in 1993, said the law should guide the Bureau of Corrections in reviewing the good conduct time allowance of inmates. He said they must have missed the provision excluding those who committed heinous crimes from those who can benefit from the law.
“The guidance should be the law. Siguro ang nangyari niyan baka they were not able to look at the law kasi I noticed also in the law, ‘yung exclusion nasa gitna eh,” he said. “Hindi mapapansin. Usually kasi sinasabi yun sa bandang huli. Baka hindi lang napansin,” he added.
The Palace official said that the BuCor’s assessment on Sanchez’s good conduct time allowance is not anymore necessary since he was not qualified in the first place.
“Ang assessment, it applies to those who are covered. Doon sa mga hindi covered, the law is very clear,” Panelo said. “Mr. Sanchez, under Republic Act No. 10592, is not eligible. So the President, as the chief enforcer of the law, will have to follow the law,” he added.
Panelo doubted that Sanchez was able to leave and return to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City whenever he wanted to following photos circulating online that Sanchez was supposedly outside the prison. “I doubt very much. Nasa ano siya eh high security. Malabo ‘yun,” he said. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
