Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER file photo
MANILA, Philippines鈥擯resident Rodrigo Duterte will not allow the early release of rape-slay convict former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez, as he was not eligible from the law that shaves years off a prisoner鈥檚 jail term for good behavior, Malaca帽ang said Friday.
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo stressed that convicts of heinous crimes like Sanchez are not entitled to benefit from the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) system.
鈥淢r. Sanchez under Republic Act 10592 is not eligible so the President, as chief enforcer of the law, will have to follow the law,鈥� Panelo told reporters.
READ: Palace backs DOJ: Sanchez not qualified for good conduct law
Panelo was Sanchez鈥檚 lawyer for the rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta and for the murder of Allan Gomez, both University of the Philippines Los Ba帽os (UPLB) students in 1993.
It was earlier reported that Sanchez, who was sentenced to serve seven 40-year prison terms along with his aides for the killing of Sarmenta and Gomez, is among the thousands of inmates eligible for time reductions to their sentence due to GCTA.
According to Duterte鈥檚 former aide and now Senator Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go, the President was 鈥渆nraged鈥� when he learned that Sanchez could be released from prison.听
鈥淢agagalit siya [Duterte] because when the law says he鈥檚 disqualified e bakit mo iko-consider?鈥� Panelo explained.
But the Palace official claimed that the provision of the law that states its 鈥渆xclusions鈥� could have been overlooked.听
鈥淪iguro ang nagyari diyan they were not able to look at the law. Kasi I noticed also in the law 鈥榶ung exclusion [provision] nasa gitna parang hindi mapapansin鈥� Baka hindi lang napansin,鈥� Panelo said. /jpv