MORE THAN 1,700 heinous crime convicts have been released by the Duterte regime through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law.
The GCTA provides for the early release of inmates, including those sentenced to life imprisonment, as reward for their good behavior in prison.

This releases came under fire following a public outcry, especially that of the victims’ family, against the alleged plan to release former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez who was convicted over the rape-slay of Eileen Sarmenta and her companion Alan Gomez, and for killing father-and-son Nelson and Rickson Peñalosa.

The people were enraged even more with the direct endorsement of Sal Panelo, Duterte’s minion, of Sanchez’s release at the Bureau of Pardons and Parole. Panelo was one of Sanchez’s defending lawyers during his trial.

To save face, Duterte dismissed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon. Previously, Faeldon was also dismissed as chief of the Bureau of Customs after being implicated in smuggling shabu.
Majority of those freed by the Duterte regime are rapists and murderers. Aside from Sanchez, it also freed four of the seven inmates convicted for the rape-slay of the Chiong sisters in Cebu in 1997.

The GCTA Law was enacted under the regime of Benigno Aquino III in 2013.