Palace: No second chance for rapist-murderer Sanchez

Convicted rapist-murderer and former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Photo taken on Thursday, Aust 22, 2019. (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Under the law, rapist-murderer and former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez deserves no second chance.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this Monday as he insisted that under Republic Act 10592 or the law that increased the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) given to inmates, Sanchez was not qualified.

Section 1 of RA 10592 states that “recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees and persons charged with heinous crimes are excluded from the coverage of this Act.”

 Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said Sanchez “may actually be released” under RA 10592. He later said Sanchez was ineligible for release.

READ: Early release for mayor in rape-slay case

“The problem is, whether he deserves [to be released] or not, under the law he is not eligible,” Panelo said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ The Source.

He said “the law is very clear and categorical” that Sanchez who was convicted for the 1993 rape-slay of Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of Allan Gomez, both University of the Philippines Los Baños students, was not qualified for release. 

The government earned a sharp rebuke last week for floating that Sanchez may be eligible for release under RA 10592. 

Guevarra and Bureau of Corrections Chief Nicanaor Faeldon later clarified that Sanchez may not be released after all.

Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte had already called Faeldon to tell him he does not want the release of Sanchez.

READ: Duterte to DOJ, BuCor: Don’t release Sanchez

Panelo had served as one of the lawyers of Sanchez. /je