Albayalde says some freed criminals under GCTA back to old ways

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Oscar Albayalde has confirmed that there are reports about inmates freed through the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) being engaged in criminal acts again.

“We received information just like that. Those that were convicted they go out — especially those engaged in illegal drugs — they go back to their old business,” Albayalde said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday.

According to him, they have placed tracker teams to monitor the freed inmates.  And when they engage in criminal acts, he assured that the police would not hesitate in rearresting them.

“We have tracker teams in all the regions going after wanted persons.  We call them tracker teams because we have this manhunt where we go after persons with warrants of arrest,” Albayalde said.

“But if they do another crime outside of course we can always arrest them we can always conduct case buildup against them.  Remember we all know these people were also engaged in the illegal drug trade even inside the prison,” he explained.

Previously, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) legal division chief Frederick Anthony Santos disclosed that 1,914 of the 22,049 prisoners freed in accordance with Republic Act No. 10592, were inmates convicted of heinous crimes.

READ: 1,914 heinous crime convicts freed under good conduct law

Of this number, 797 committed murder, 758 were convicted for rape, 274 for robbery with violence, 48 for drug-related charges, 29 for parricide, five for kidnapping with illegal detention, and three for destructive arson.

The information came to light after public outrage caused by news that former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez, who was convicted of raping and killing a University of the Philippines (UP) student, may be one of 10,000 prisoners who would be freed.

READ: Antonio Sanchez, more than 10k other inmates to get out of prison ‘soon’ 

However, Albayalde also admitted that they do not have the full list of the prisoners who were freed as the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is not mandated to provide such information to PNP.

“As of this time we don’t have the list because we don’t have existing protocols between the BuCor and the PNP so if the BuCor would give us the list then probably we can start with the monitoring,” he noted.

He noted though that he would try to talk to BuCor chief Director General Nicanor Faeldon, as he personally knows some of the officials in the agency.

“Yes we can always coordinate probably after the Senate hearing we can coordinate directly with the Director of BuCor.  I know him personally anyway. We have classmates also,” he said. /je