PNP: Number of heinous crime convicts who surrendered now over 300

PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The number of heinous crime convicts who already surrendered to the police has reached over 300, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Friday.

Of the 353 who surrendered, 115 of them are convicts of murder, 108 of rape, 32 of robbery with homicide, 20 of homicide, 16 of dangerous drugs, and 13 of rape with homicide.

The number covers those who surrendered from September 4 until 6 a.m. of September 13. 

As of this posting, the other heinous crime convicts who were released due to good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law have six days left before the end of the 15-day deadline of President Rodrigo Duterte on September 19.

Records showed that a total of 234 convicts have already been turned over to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Based on the data, there were also convicts of non-heinous crimes — two for robbery, two for kidnapping, one for carnapping, one for violation of election gun ban, and one for illegal possession of a firearm — who have surrendered to the police.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesperson of the PNP, said these convicts of non-heinous crimes presented themselves voluntarily.

“It’s up to BuCor now to determine who they will accept or be sent home,” he said in a text message.

The surrender of heinous crime convicts came after Duterte ordered them on September 4 to turn themselves in to authorities, after the public was expressed outrage over the supposed release of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez, a rape and murder convict.

READ: Duterte to freed heinous crime convicts: Surrender now

BuCor records show that a total of 1,914 heinous crime convicts were among the 22,049 prisoners freed under the Republic Act No. 10592 — which shortens the prison sentence of convicts as a reward for showing good conduct while serving jail time — since 2013 when the law was passed.

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

Section 1 of RA 10592 excludes “recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees and persons charged with heinous crimes” from the coverage of the Act.

This section is said to be in conflict with Section 3 of the law because the provision which states that “the good conduct of any offender qualified for credit for preventive imprisonment pursuant to Article 29 of this Code, or of any convicted prisoner in any penal institution, rehabilitation or detention center or any other local jail shall entitle him to (certain)… deductions from the period of his sentence” does not mention any exclusion. /jpv