Gordon at Senate probe into GCTA law: ‘I’m convinced may bayaran’

Sen. Richard Gordon leads the hearing on the GCTA law on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2019. Seated beside him is Senate President Vicente Sotto III. (Photo from a video posted on Gordon’s Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Richard Gordon said he is convinced that there is corruption within the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in connection with the release of well-off prisoners.

He said this at Thursday’s resumption of the Senate probe into the implementation of the controversial god conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

“My point here is may bayaran. I’m convinced na may bayaran or in fact, my own view…this is part of a diabolical plot,” the senator, who is leading the investigation as chair of the justice and human rights committee, said.

Gordon issued this remark as he was grilling BuCor Director Maria Fe Marquez about the supposed proliferation of contrabands inside the New Bilibid Prison, particularly cellphones.

The senator also took note of the appearance of convicted rapist and murderer former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez in photos earlier taken by the media, where he was seen wearing slacks, sunglasses, and an expensive-looking watch.

“The picture itself speaks na talagang there is no law,” he then pointed out.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1156413/look-nandyan-lang-siya-sanchez-still-detained-in-bilibid

The senator also found it questionable why the likes of Sanchez and Chinese drug lords have been considered for release through the GCTA law despite having been convicted of heinous crimes.

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“Kung may pera ka ba mauna ka? Kung may pera ka ba, may lagayan ba diyan para mauna? May lagayan sa (pagpasok ng) cellphone…May lagayan sa TV,” he said.

“Eh lalo na siguro [kung] good conduct time allowance. ‘Mauna na ko, magkano ba kailangan? Ako drug pusher ako, magkano ba kailangan? Tatagal pa ko dito, bigyan kita ng P100 million para makalabas ako’,” Gordon said.

During previous hearings, allegations of corruption through the “GCTA for sale” scheme surfaced as senators questioned BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon on the Sanchez’s eligibility to avail of the GCTA law.

Earlier, the BuCor and the Department of Justice announced that Sanchez was among the 11,000 inmates to be freed under the said the law.

But following public outrage, Sanchez’s early freedom was aborted and the processing of the releases of the thousands of other inmates was suspended.

Senator Risa Hontiveros during Monday’s hearing said that liberty through the GCTA may have been “for sale” to favored prisoners.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also earlier said that he received “A1 information” from “prison insiders”, saying that inmates in the NBP may have to pay millions if they want to be released.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1160852/sotto-cites-intel-report-saying-freedom-under-gcta-may-cost-millions