BuCor says Sanchez’s violations while jailed not reflected in prison records

September 3, 2019

The Bureau of Corrections  ( BuCor) Tuesday said violations committed by convicted rapist-murderer and former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez while incarcerated were not reflected in his prison records.

During the second day of Senate Committee on Justice and Blue Ribbon Committee's joint probe on the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law (GCTA), Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon prodded BuCor director General Nicanor Faeldon about the records of Sanchez's violations in 2010.

"I cannot find any records of those violations. They were not properly recorded," Faeldon said, explaining he only knew the violations through "reports I saw on television."

Sanchez was caught with P1.5 million worth of shabu hidden under a statue of Virgin Mary inside his prison cell in July 2010. In another inspection in 2015, authorities seized a flat screen TV and air conditioning unit in his cell.

"Either there was corruption or there was negligence because it was obvious that there was a lot of violation," Drilon said.

During the interrogation, Drilon presented documents proving Sanchez received time allowance prior to Faeldon's signing of Sanchez's memorandum of release.

According to the document presented by Drilon, following his arrest in 1993 for the rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta and killing of Allan Gomez, Sanchez was credited 80 days of good conduct time allowance.

The following year he was credited with 240; 160 and 252 in 1995; 276 days in 1996; 256 in 1997; 284 in 1998; and 300 days in 1999 after the Supreme Court released decision and sentence on Sanchez's case.

Drilon said the Bureau of Corrections violated the law for granting the ex-mayor good conduct time allowance while being under preventive imprisonment.

“Why was he credited with time allowance when in fact the law is very clear. When you are charged with heinous crimes, the period of detention is not deducted. If there is any doubt in the law, that one is very clear,” he said.

“You approved the release of Sanchez based on... the basis of the record. It only means that you approve of this computation,” Drilon added.

The BuCor official said he was not the one who gave credit to Sanchez years back. Faeldon also said he immediately halted the release order of Sanchez after signing the memorandum of release.

“Minutes after I signed it, I stopped it on August 20 because I believe there was something wrong with the granting of GCTA,” Faeldon said. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS