Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra will issue an order today creating a task force to review existing rules on the Good Conduct Time Allowance that would allow the reduced sentence of inmates.
“Ayaw din natin na ‘yung mga hindi karapat-dapat ay makinabang kung hindi naman talaga sila saklaw ng batas na ‘yan,” said Guevarra. “We just want to make sure,” the Justice Secretary stressed.
Aside from the Department of Justice, Guevarra said the task force will be composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Bureau of Corrections, and the Board of Pardons and Parole.
The task force will review the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10592, the 2013 law which amended provisions of the Revised Penal Code and increased the number of GCTA inmates could get.
Last June, the Supreme Court issued a ruling which declared that RA 10592 should be applied retroactively and not just prospectively since the RPC requires the retroactive application of penal laws.
While the task force is conducting the review, Guevarra said the processing of the GCTAs will be temporarily suspended. (Jeffrey Damicog)
