President Rodrigo Duterte will prohibit the release of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez from prison based on a 2013 law granting the application of Good Conduct Time Allowances (GCTA) for convicts.
In a statement released in Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Sal Panelo explained the President’s decision.
“Mr. Sanchez, under Republic Act 10592, is not eligible. So the President as chief enforcer of the law will have to follow the law,” he said.
Malacañang also supported the Justice Department’s statement that habitual delinquents and those convicted of heinous crimes will not benefit from the law.
“Thus, the inevitable conclusion is that all those convicted of a heinous crime, including Mr. Antonio Sanchez, would be ineligible and disqualified from availing the benefits of the GCTA,” Panelo explained.
Panelo however denied any involvement on moves to release Sanchez from prison. Panelo was the former legal counsel of the rape-slay suspect.
