Push Admin

Judge who convicted Sanchez seeks corruption check at prisons bureau

Article (news)

Christian V. Esguerra, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The retired judge who convicted Antonio Sanchez to 7 life terms called for a &quot;lifestyle check&quot; on prison officials involved in the release of nearly 2,000 inmates convicted of heinous crimes since 2014.Former Pasig City judge Harriet Demetriou said the government should scrutinize exactly how good conduct allowances were processed and whether certain officials were paid in exchange for the credits.Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier floated the possibility that the “tara” (grease money) system prevalent at the customs bureau might also be present at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).“Dapat i-lifestyle check sila (They should undergo lifestyle check),” Demetriou said, referring to corrections officials behind the grant of good conduct credits now in question.“Para makita ano yung consideration for the release of these prisoners notwithstanding the prohibition of the law itself?“BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon is under fire for supposedly ordering the release of Sanchez, based on a document produced by Lacson during a Senate hearing on Monday.Faeldon said it was a memorandum, not a release order for Sanchez. The convict remains at the New Bilibid Prison after his possible release sparked public outcry.<div>‘GREAT PERIL’</div>“The justice system in this country is in great peril because of what happened,” Demetriou told ABS-CBN News, referring to the release of 1,914 heinous crime convicts since 2014.At least 816 of these inmates were released this year under Faeldon, according to an Inquirer report.A total of 384 prisoners convicted of heinous crimes were also said to have been freed under Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa’s stint as BuCor director general last year.Sixty-two heinous crime convicts were released in 2014, the year after the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law was passed, which further reduces jail time based on good behavior.Inmates such as Sanchez, who was convicted of raping and killing a 21-year-old UP Los Baños student in 1993, are excluded from the benefits under the GCTA law, said Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente Veloso.Faeldon told the Senate that the GCTA law’s implementing rules did not exclude those convicted of heinous crimes.<div>VOID</div>Veloso’s House justice committee is set to hold a separate investigation into the GCTA controversy.The BuCor, he said, should inform the 1,914 prisoners that their release order was “void from the very beginning and therefore you are directed to come back.”“They can rearrested. They are no different from escapees,” he told ANC’s Early Edition.Veloso, a former Court of Appeals justice, cited Article 99 of the Revised Penal Code, which allows the prisons director to “grant allowances for good conduct.”But while the provision states that allowances, once granted, shall not be revoked, Veloso noted that they should first be “lawfully justified.”“Grant of a good conduct allowance to a person who is not qualified is a void grant,” he said. “Being void from the very beginning, there is nothing to revoke.”

Former Pasig City judge Harriet Demetriou said the government should scrutinize exactly how good conduct allowances were processed and whether certain officials were paid in exchange for the credits.

Former Pasig City judge Harriet Demetriou said the government should scrutinize exactly how good conduct allowances were processed and whether certain officials were paid in exchange for the credits.

Judge who convicted Sanchez seeks corruption check at prisons bureau

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

News

Judge who convicted Sanchez seeks corruption check at prisons bureau

Christian V. Esguerra,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2019 04:40 PM PHT

Read More:

Harriet Demetriou

Antonio Sanchez

heinous crime

crime

justice

Good Conduct Time Allowance

GCTA

Bureau of Corrections

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.