Sanchez’s wife tipped Chiong sisters’ mom on convicts’ release

MANILA, Philippines — Elvira Sanchez, the wife of rape-murder convict Antonio Sanchez, allegedly revealed the release of inmates convicted for the rape-slay of Chiong sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline to their mother, Thelma, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

In a radio interview with AM radio station DWIZ, Lacson said Elvira tipped Thelma of the release of convicts Ariel Balansag, Alberto Caño, and Josman Aznar under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

“Kasi naiinip na sila, na bakit si Sanchez ang naiwan?” Lacson said.

[They were getting impatient, thinking: Why was Sanchez left behind?]

He said this development, though not revealed during the hearing, was the first information that Senate President Vicente Sotto III shared with him.

But two of the three convicts — Balansag and Caño — turned themselves in at the Bureau of Corrections on Friday, Sept. 6, two days after President Rodrigo Duterte called for the surrender of the almost 2,000 convicts released under the GCTA law.

READ: 2 of 3 freed convicts in Chiong sisters rape-slay surrender — DOJ

In a related development, Lacson said a new witness might testify on the alleged early-freedom-for-sale scheme at the New Bilibid Prison.

Last Thursday, Sept. 6, Yolando Camelon, the wife of an NBP inmate, related during the third Senate hearing on the issue about her botched attempt to get her husband out of prison under the scheme.

Lacson said the inmates being implicated in the scheme might rise to the level people like Sanchez and the drug lords.

“Ibang usapan yan,” he said.

/atm