The possibility of Ex-Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez, who was convicted for rape and murder in 1993, walking free from prison is hurting the family of the victim.
Ma. Clara Sarmenta, the mother of the rape-slay victim Eileen, said she was not able to sleep after news reports came out that Sanchez could be one of the 11,000 inmates who may be released in the next few months.
“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t able to sleep last night. Everything came back to me: the pain, the struggle, bringing back our lives together. Bumalik ulit lahat ‘yun. I’m really sorry that I’m crying,” Ma. Clara told news.abscbn.com.
Mara Clara said they would take steps to block Sanchez’s possible release.
“As far as we know, it was supposed to be channeled to the Board of Pardons and Parole and if he has a petition, filed for a parole dapat binigyan kami ng notice… Kaya kami hindi po kami nakapag-take ng any course of action kasi wala po sa amin nakarating na meron siyang petition for that,” she added in the report.
Ma. Clara said they would consult a lawyer and will bring their letter of appeal to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Nicanor Faeldon has confirmed that Sanchez could be among the 11,000 eligible for release in the next 2 months after the Supreme Court decision to apply retroactively a new law increasing good conduct time allowance.
It was in 1995 when Sanchez was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1993 rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños students, Sarmenta and Allan Gomez. Then Pasig RTC judge Harriet Demetriou called the crime “a plot seemingly hatched in hell.”
One of the defense lawyers in that case is current Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
In an interview with Philstar.com, Panelo denied having a hand in the possible release of Sanchez.
“I withdrew 27 years ago,” Panelo said. “I think that (claim) is far-fetched because… I had withdrawn even before the appeal was made.”
Panelo said if allowed by the law, the decision to release Sanchez should be respected.
“That’s the law. We cannot rely on emotion or whatever. We have to follow the law. As the president said, just follow the law and everything will be in place,” he said.
