3 more drug lords released from jail for good conduct, says Lacson
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from the five convicted Chinese drug lords released from prison in the past months, Senator Panfilo Lacson said three more foreign drug convicts have also been released for good behavior.
“Bukod sa lima, may tatlo pa, isa na-release sa Davao Penal Colony. Taiwan drug lord naman yan. Tapos meron sa Palawan, 2 pa, drug lord din, na-release noong April,” Lacson said in an interview with dzBB on Friday.
(Aside from the five, there are three more who were released from the Davao Penal Colony. It was a Taiwan drug lord. In Palawan, two more, also drug lords, who were released last April)
In a later Viber message to reporters, Lacson identified one of the three drug lords as Chen Tiz Zang, who was released from the Davao Penal Colony last April. The two others are yet to be named.
“Sunod-sunod mga Chinese drug lords na nire-release, gamit ang GCTA na tinatawag,” he said referring to the Republic Act No. 10592, the law that increased the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) given to inmates.
(Chinese drug lords are being released using the GCTA)
GCTA is earned as a reward for an inmate’s good behavior and deducted from the jail term that a prisoner needs to serve.
The senator earlier bared that at least four Chinese nationals convicted for drug offenses were released by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) as early as June this year. He said another Chinese drug lord was turned over to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for deportation.
According to Lacson, 48 of the 1,914 inmates who availed of the benefits of the said law have been convicted for drug-related cases.
“Laya na yan. Kasi sa batas natin, pag ikaw ay foreign national magse-serve ka ng sentensya mo at kung served sentence ka na, saka ka ide-deport,” Lacson said.
“Kung Pilipino, makalaya na ang mga yan. Kasi walang pagde-deport-an sa kanila. Mga Pilipino sila,” he added.
Asked if he thinks the GCTA law is being abused, Lacson said: Yan ang dapat, aalamin namin sa Lunes.
The Senate is set to conduct an inquiry into the implementation of R.A. 10592.
This after BuCor and the Department of Justice (DOJ) said more than 10,000 inmates, including convicted rapist and murderer former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez, may be released pursuant to the said law.
But following public outcry over Sanchez’ possible release, the DOJ suspended the processing of the early release for good conduct of inmates. /muf
READ: DOJ suspends early release of convicts
