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PNP Chief: Authorities can 'monitor' freed heinous crime convicts

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/urSEYb4jwfM?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>MANILA - Police can only &quot;monitor&quot; heinous crime convicts who were freed on &quot;good conduct&quot; credits unless higher authorities order their rearrest, the head of the Philippine National Police said Wednesday.The grant of good conduct time allowance or GCTA credits is &quot;irrevocable&quot; and ex-inmates could not be immediately rearrested because &quot;there is no court order coming from competent court,&quot; General Oscar Albayalde said.One of the proponents of the GCTA law earlier said heinous crime convicts were <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/30/19/heinous-crime-convicts-ineligible-for-good-conduct-release-solon">ineligible for the credits</a>.&quot;All we can do here is probably monitor them. If they do something against the law, we can rearrest them for that offense not for the previous offense. That&#x27;s the least that we can do,&quot; PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said.Last week, Senator Panfilo Lacson said 4 Chinese drug convicts were among those released from the national penitentiary due to good conduct and were set for deportation.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/29/19/lacson-says-4-chinese-drug-convicts-freed-on-good-conduct">Lacson says 4 Chinese drug convicts freed on good conduct</a></li></ul>Albayalde said police teams could be mobilized to monitor or go after released heinous crime convicts.&quot;As of this time, we have no list because we don&#x27;t have an existing protocol between BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) and PNP. If and when the BuCor would give us the list probably we could start with the monitoring,&quot; he said.The <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/29/19/bucor-data-shows-nearly-2000-heinous-crime-convicts-released-early-since-2014">BuCor</a> said a total of 1,914 heinous crime convicts were released through GCTA since 2014.The implementation of Republic Act 10592 which increases the “good conduct time allowance” of prisoners has come under scrutiny lately after the justice department announced that convicted rapist-killer Antonio Sanchez might be released from prison because of supposed good behavior.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/27/19/drilon-warns-of-proposal-to-amend-gcta-law">Drilon warns of proposal to amend GCTA law</a></li></ul>The PNP chief said amendments to the law should clearly state that heinous crimes and those involved in the large volumes of illegal drugs are excluded.The provision on who should have the authority to grant GCTA must also be reviewed, he said.&quot;There should be check and balance here or probably the BuCor would just be a recommendatory body to DOJ (Department of Justice) and the DOJ would probably evaluate this recommendation,&quot; he said.

The grant of good conduct time allowance or GCTA credits is "irrevocable" and ex-inmates could not be immediately rearrested because "there is no court order coming from competent court," General Oscar Albayalde said.

The grant of good conduct time allowance or GCTA credits is "irrevocable" and ex-inmates could not be immediately rearrested because "there is no court order coming from competent court," General Oscar Albayalde said.