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NAGPAHIWATIG ng korupsiyon si Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon sa loob ng Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) habang kinatigan ang pagpapaliban sa proseso ng posibleng maagang paglaya ng ilang preso sa National Bilibid Prison (NBP) sa ilalim ng Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law.
Sa Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum sa makasaysayang Café Adriatico sa Malate, Maynila, inihayag ni Drilon ang kanyang pagsuporta sa desisyon ng kagawaran ng katarungan na suspendihin ang maagang pagpapalaya sa mga nahatulang criminal batay sa GCTA.
“I support the DoJ’s decision. I could not help but suspect that there are shenanigans happening inside the BuCor in favor of the rich and powerful inmates, including former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez,” wika ng senador.
Tinuran ni Drilon, kalihim ng katarungan noong dinidinig ang kaso nina Sanchez at anim niyang mga bodyguard sa panggagahasa at pagpatay kina University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta at Allan Gomez, ang suspensiyon bilang “welcome development” sa napipintong pagpapalaya sa dating alkalde at mga kasamahan nito.
“The temporary suspension may affect prisoners who are really entitled for an early release based on good conduct time allowance. But with the people, including myself, worrying about the release of prisoners like Sanchez, the temporary suspension, pending review of the guidelines, is a welcome development,” dagdag ng senador.
Nitong nakaraang linggo, sinabi ng DoJ na ipagbibigay-alam sa Korte Suprema ang pangangailangan na isuspendi ang proseso ng “early release for good conduct” ng libo-libong bilanggo, kabilang si Sanchez.
Inihayag ang suspensiyon kasunod ng paglitaw ng mga katanungan ukol sa eligibility ni Sanchez para sa maagang pagpapalaya sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 10592, na nagpalawig sa GCTA na iginagawd sa mga bilanggo.
Iginiit ni Drilon, kailangan suriing mabuti ang record ng mga bilanggo na sinasabing kalipikado sa GCTA, partikular kung may mga paglabag na naitala habang sila’y nasa piitan.
Pinaaalalahanan din ng Senate minority leader ang mga mambabatas laban sa pag-amyenda o pakikialam sa mga probisyon ng GCTA habang pinag-aaralan sa Mataas ng Kapulungan ang pagpapatupad nito para matiyak kung tunay ngang aplikable ito sa dating alkalde ng Calauan at anim na kasamahan.
Nagbabala si Drilon na maaaring magamit ni Sanchez ang oportunidad para igiit na siya ay eligible para sa maaagang pagpapalaya.
“An amendment (to the law) which will say that those who are guilty of heinous offenses may not avail of the GCTA, may imply, and I underscore imply, that today he is entitled to it,” paliwanag ng senador.
“Because, you are amending it in order to make clear, that those who are guilty of heinous crimes are not included in the law. If you do that, Mr. Sanchez can claim that cannot apply to him because that will have the nature of an ex post facto legislation. So ako po, sinasabi ko lang, ingat tayo (For me, all I’m saying is, let’s be careful). Let us study it carefully,” ani Drilon.
Hiniling din ni Drilon na huwag silang mabulag sa tunay na sitwasyon dahil sa simpatiya sa pamilya ng biktimang sina Sarmenta at Gomez.
“Indeed, they deserve the sympathy as I said, I myself, should be the first to have that sympathy on record because I personally prosecuted this guy. I see evil in his face, whether or not we have the death penalty,” aniya.
“But just the point of amending the law, to make it clear that it is not applicable to Sanchez, will create the presumption that today, the law on GCTA is applicable to him,” punto ng minority leader.
“I would rather that I would attack the factual basis for his availment,” aniya.
Binanggit ni Drilon, sa pagbasa ng uniform manual ukol sa time allowances at service sentence na inilabas ng kagawaran ng katarungan, makikita na hindi eligible sina Sanchez at ang kanyang mga kasamahan para maka-avail ng GCTA.
“The manual enumerates 45 violations that will prevent you from availing of the GCTA. If you examine it closely, ‘yung anghel na nakaupo lang diyan sa tabi, ang hindi pupuwedeng magkamali. So how did Sanchez become entitled to this GCTA? If you were to believe the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) spokesman, he said Sanchez has already served an equivalent of 49 years. How (did it become) 49 years? He was finally convicted only in 1999, that was barely 20 years ago. How did it happen that he was credited 48 years? Are we saying he has not violated the appropriate rules?” tinukoy ng senador
“Let us be cautious in making an amendment as it can be taken advantage of by the lawyer of Mayor Sanchez, whoever that lawyer is,” pagtatapos ni Drilon.
(TRACY CABRERA)
