Panelo says freed heinous crime convicts should be sent back to jail

Based on the data released earlier by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), a total of 1,914 prisoners convicted of heinous crimes have been granted early release since 2014 due to the passage of the GCTA law which shortens an inmate’s jail time on the basis of good behavior. (Shutterstock)

Malacañang on Friday, August 30, said those inmates convicted of heinous crimes who have walked free due to the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law should be put behind bars again.

“That cannot be done because the law is very clear.

Republic Act (RA) 10592 is very clear that those charges and convicted of heinous crimes, escapees, habitual delinquency, and recidivists are not covered by the law,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing held in China.

“Obviously, dapat makabalik sila sa kulungan (they should go back to jail) until they serve the full term of their service,” he added.

Based on the data released earlier by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), a total of 1,914 prisoners convicted of heinous crimes have been granted early release since 2014 due to the passage of the GCTA law which shortens an inmate’s jail time on the basis of good behavior.

Of the number, 797 of them were sentenced for murder, 758 for rape, 274 for robbery with violence or intimidation, 48 for illegal drug law violations, 29 for parricide, five for kidnapping with illegal detention, and three for destructive arson.

When told that the law states that the grant of GCTA cannot be revoked, the Palace official responded, “When you say it cannot be revoked, it assumes that the grantee[s] are qualified.”

“If you are not qualified how can you apply that provision,” he continued.

Last Thursday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) suspended the implementation of the GCTA law for 10 days as a joint committee reviews its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

The joint committee, chaired by the DOJ and co-chaired by the DILG, will submit its report and draft the revised IRR, uniform policy and guidelines on the computation of time credits and allowances under RA No. 10592 to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

The GCTA law was put under the spotlight following reports that former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez, who was convicted for rape and murder, may be one of those inmates to be released early for good conduct.