MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday belied allegations that convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez have already been released and freely living in Calauan town in Laguna.
“Nasa Calauan na yata eh,” Faeldon said in jest when asked for Sanchez’s “proof of life” during a press briefing at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“Nandyan lang siya. Nagpa-panic na nga ‘yung kung sinu-sinong tumatawag sakin, ‘Nandyan pa ba? Nakalabas na raw e?’ Mukhang kung sinu-sinong nagte-text sa inyo na nakalabas na,” Faeldon noted.
Several posts on social media indicated that Sanchez was already set free and allegedly seen in Calauan, even before reports of his looming release surfaced.
But members of the media were allowed to take photos of Sanchez while inside the maximum security compound of NBP on Thursday, August 22.
Convicted rapist-murderer and former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Thursday, Aust 22, 2019.-Inquirer/Grig C. Montegrande
“Relax lang kayo dahil hindi naman siya lalabas. Sasabihan namin kayo kung lalabas pero mukhang hindi siya lalabas. Tatagal siya dito para makalma na tayong lahat,” Faeldon said.
Sanchez was sentenced by the court to up to 280 years imprisonment for raping University of the Philippines-Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta, for killing her and her companion, Allan Gomez, in 1993 in Laguna.
Based on court records, Sarmenta was given to Sanchez as a “gift” and was subsequently gang-raped by Sanchez’s men after the former mayor was done abusing her.
Gomez, on the other hand, was beaten and then shot to death.
Aside from the Sarmenta-Gomez case, Sanchez was likewise sentenced to up to 80 years in jail for two other murder cases. /kga