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Online outrage: 'Let rapist-murderer Sanchez spend his lifetime in jail'

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Jauhn Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/08/22/20190821-antonio-sanchez-co-michael-delizo.jpg"/><figcaption>Convicted murderer and rapist Antonio Sanchez. <em>Michael Delizo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Some of them were not even born when then Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez committed the gruesome crime, but millennials are joining the protest against his likely freedom in a platform they are most comfortable with - online. </p><p>Close to 63,000 netizens on Thursday have already &quot;signed&quot; an online petition demanding that the government stop the impending release of the convicted rapist and murderer.</p><p>Sanchez, a former mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was sentenced in 1995 to 7 counts of reclusion perpetua (or 40 years imprisonment) over the 1993 rape-slay of Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of Allan Gomez.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-release-of-mayor-antonio-sanchez-let-him-serve-his-seven-life-sentences?use_react=false">Change.org petition</a>, created by user B Vergara, said Sanchez &quot;must remain incarcerated for the duration of his lifetime.&quot; Vergara claims he and Gomez were friends.</p><p>&quot;We petition the Department of Justice to stop Sanchez&#x27;s release and affirm his seven life sentences. He used his power and position to kidnap, rape and murder. His actions terrorized a university and an entire town. For full justice to be served, he must remain incarcerated for the duration of his lifetime,&quot; the online petition read. </p><p>As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 62,000 online users joined the petition. </p><div><strong>&#x27;QUESTIONABLE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Questions were raised over how Sanchez could qualify for good conduct when he was caught with P1.5 million worth of shabu hidden in a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in his cell at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City in 2010. An airconditioning unit and a flat-screen TV were also seized from him during a raid in 2015.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/19/impending-release-of-convicted-rapist-murderer-sanchez-sparks-outrage">Impending release of convicted rapist-murderer Sanchez sparks outrage</a></li></ul><p>Several senators have already questioned the eligibility of Sanchez for release, with one legislator eyeing an inquiry over the controversial application of the law.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/19/shabu-in-virgin-mary-statue-refutes-sanchez-good-behavior-drilon">&#x27;Shabu&#x27; in Virgin Mary statue refutes Sanchez &#x27;good behavior&#x27;: Drilon</a></li></ul><p>&quot;He is charged with engaging in drug trading inside Bilibid penitentiary and on that basis alone he cannot qualify to avail of the benefits under the law,&quot; said Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was also the justice secretary at the time of Sanchez’s conviction.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/19/sentences-ignored-senators-reject-release-of-antonio-sanchez">&#x27;Sentences ignored?&#x27; Senators reject release of Antonio Sanchez</a></li></ul><p>Bureau of Corrections Director General Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday said Sanchez may in fact be disqualified from the GCTA rule based on several grounds.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/19/sanchez-may-not-qualify-for-release-under-new-gcta-rule-bucor">Sanchez may not qualify for release under new GCTA rule: BuCor</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W3xalD757d8?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Some of them were not even born when then Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez committed the gruesome crime, but millennials are joining the protest against his likely freedom in a platform they are most comfortable with - online. </p>

Some of them were not even born when then Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez committed the gruesome crime, but millennials are joining the protest against his likely freedom in a platform they are most comfortable with - online.

Online outrage: 'Let rapist-murderer Sanchez spend his lifetime in jail'

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Online outrage: 'Let rapist-murderer Sanchez spend his lifetime in jail'

Jauhn Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 22, 2019 08:01 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 22, 2019 09:47 PM PHT

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Antonio Sanchez

change.org

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