Sanchez clan won’t pay damages to victims’ kin

FILE: Ex-Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez, narito sa loob ng Maximum Security Compound ng New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City. (Photo By Mark Fetalco via PTV/Facebook)

MANILA — The wife of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez on Tuesday said they have “no intention” of paying the damages worth PHP12.671 million as ordered by the Supreme Court to the families of her husband’s victims.

During a Senate inquiry into the early release of heinous crime convicts, Elvira, Sanchez’ wife, said they would not pay the damages as she insisted on her husband’s innocence.

“Laging paulit-ulit po naming sinasabi, bakit po kami magbabayad, wala naman pong kasalanan ang aking asawa(We have been repeatedly saying this, why should we pay when my husband is innocent?),” she said.

The former mayor was sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her companion, Allan Gomez in 1993.

Minority Leader Franklin Drilon again asked if the Sanchez family would not comply with the court ruling, to which Elvira responded that they have no intention of doing so.

“Sinabi ng Korte Suprema may kasalanan ang asawa niyo at yun po ang tinatanggap ng buong sambayanan–ang hatol ng Korte Suprema. Kasama sa hatol yung PHP12 million na sinabi ng Korte Suprema na dapat bayaran. Wala kayong intensyon bayaran ito? (The Supreme Court ruled that your husband is guilty and the public has accepted this ruling. Included in the verdict is the PHP12 million damages that should be paid. You don’t have any intention of paying this?),” Drilon asked.

“Actually your honor, wala po talaga kaming intensyon. Nagsasabi po ako ng totoo. Yung sinasabing araw at petsa na pinatay si Eileen Sarmenta at pinatay si Allan Gomez, nasa amin po ang asawa ko kasama ang mga anak ko (we have no intention of paying. I’m telling the truth. On the day when Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez were killed, my husband was with us and our children),” Elvira said in response.

Drilon then urged Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to prompt private prosecutors to issue a writ of execution so that the Sanchez family would comply with the ruling and pay the damages.