692 of 1,914 GTCA-freed PDLs surrender: DOJ

FILE: FAELDON TAKES OATH AS BUCOR CHIEF. Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete confirms that former Marine captain Nicanor Faeldon took his oath as the new Director General of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) before Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in an ambush interview with reporters on Wednesday (Nov. 21, 2018). (Photo by Benjamin Pulta)

MANILA — Two days before the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said Tuesday more than a third of the 1,914 prisoners released via the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) surrendered and have their cases re-evaluated.

“As of 8:20 a.m., 17 September 2019, 692 prematurely released PDLs on account of RA 10592 have surrendered and are now in BuCor’s custody,” DOJ spokesperson Markk Perete told reporters.

President Duterte earlier said inmates released through the GCTA must surrender until September 19 to the BuCor or they will be considered fugitives.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the agency’s position is that there is no need for a court warrant for the re-arrest of the released PDLs.

Upon their return, those who are actually eligible under Republic Act 10592 or the GCTA law will be certified to be granted their liberty.

Under the said law, among those ineligible are recidivists, habitual delinquents and those convicted of heinous crimes.

Perete said among those who have yet to surrender are James Anthony Uy and Josman Aznar, two of the remaining convicts in the Chiong sisters’ rape-slay case.

The controversy stemmed from earlier reports claiming that a number of PDLs serving time for heinous crimes, including former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez, were among those who will be released from prison earlier due to GCTA.

Sanchez is serving multiple sentences reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for killing University of the Philippines-Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez in 1993.