'15 days too long': Chiong sisters' parents want daughters' rapist-killers back in prison soonest | ABS-CBN

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'15 days too long': Chiong sisters' parents want daughters' rapist-killers back in prison soonest

Annie Perez,

ABS-CBN News

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Thelma and Dionesio Chiong, parents of 1997 rape-slay victims Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong, pray at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Thursday, September 5, 2019, upon learning about President Rodrigo Duterte's order for all heinous crime convicts released early to be returned to prison. Annie Perez, ABS-CBN News

The parents of 1997 rape-slay victims Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong on Thursday said their daughters' convicted killers should be back in prison within a week.

This as they expressed relief over President Rodrigo Duterte's order for heinous crime convicts released under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law to be sent back to prison.

Both Thelma and Dionesio Chiong visited the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Thursday after hearing about the President's order.

Their daughters' 3 convicted killers were released last month under the much-criticized law, just sacked Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon earlier confirmed.

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In his order, Duterte gave the released convicts 15 days to turn themselves in or be subject to warrantless arrest.

"It's like we are giving extension to the accused to run and hide, 15 days is too long, they should be nabbed within one week," said Thelma Chiong.

Dionesio, meanwhile, wants Faeldon investigated and held responsible for the GCTA mess.

"Dapat siya na ang nasa Bilibid prison," he said in jest.

(He should be the one held at the Bilibid prison.)

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The Chiongs are now coordinating with the Cebu City Police Office to give all information they have on the convicts for their speedy rearrest.

Data from the Bureau of Corrections showed that some 2,000 heinous crime convicts have been released since the GCTA law took effect in 2013.

CHIONG SISTERS' KILLERS BACK OUT

A copy of 3 orders obtained by ABS-CBN News last week showed a memorandum dated August 16, 2019 directing the superintendent of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to release Josman Aznar, Ariel Balansag and Alberto Caño, 3 of the Chiong sisters' 7 convicted killers.

This after they were found to have “served 40 years upon retroactive application of RA No. 10592 and was certified to have no other legal cause to be further detained.”

Aznar, who belongs to a prominent family in Cebu, Balansag, a conductor, and Caño, a van driver, were among the 7 convicted in May 1999 for the rape-slay of the Chiong sisters on July 16, 1997 in Cebu City.

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Also found guilty were Francisco Juan “Paco” Larrañaga, a great-grandson of the late President Sergio Osmeña Sr.; Rowen Adlawan, James Andrew Uy, and Uy’s brother who was a minor at that time.

Larrañaga, a Spanish citizen, is serving his sentence in Spain.

The implementation of the GCTA law, which increases the “good conduct time allowance” of prisoners, has come under scrutiny after the justice department announced that convicted rapist-killer Antonio Sanchez might be released from prison because of supposed good behavior.

His release did not push through amid public uproar.

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