PNP: Over 400 GCTA-freed convicts surrender as deadline nears
MANILA, Philippines — Three days before the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte, a total of 435 convicts believed to be erroneously released on good conduct have surrendered to different police stations nationwide, data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed on Monday.
Of the surrenderers, 140 are convicts of murder, 130 of rape, 42 of robbery with homicide, 29 of homicide, 19 of drug-related cases, 14 each of murder and frustrated murder, and of rape with homicide, nine of robbery with rape, eight of parricide, and six of frustrated murder.
Three convicts of illegal possession of a firearm, two convicts each of murder and robbery, robbery, attempted rape with homicide, abduction with rape, kidnapping, and theft have also surrendered, according to PNP.
Convicts of carnapping, carnapping with homicide, rape with murder, rape and arson, attempted rape, acts of lasciviousness, and violation of election gun ban are likewise among those who have yielded to police.
Of those who have surrendered to the PNP, a total of 253 have been turned over to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), while the rest are still in different police stations.
The current data covers September 4 — the day Duterte ordered heinous crime convicts released under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law to surrender — until 6 a.m. of September 16. Under the Republic Act 10592, heinous crime convicts are excluded from being released earlier than their prison sentence as a reward for showing good conduct in jail.
READ: Duterte to freed heinous crime convicts: Surrender now
The 15-day deadline set by the President ends on September 19. PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said that after that day, the police may conduct warrantless arrest on heinous crime convicts who refuse to surrender, and even use force against them if they will resist arrest.
The data from the PNP differs from the consolidated figures of the BuCor since the numbers from BuCor include those who have directly surrendered to their office and to the military.
On Saturday, September 14, Department of Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said a total of 505 have surrendered to authorities and are now in BuCor’s custody. /je
READ: DOJ: Number of surrendered heinous crime convicts now at 505
