Rape and murder, not heinous crimes after all?

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- As this goes to press, several groups, including the senate is baffled as to why convicted rapist and murderer ex-mayor Antonio Sanchez of Calaoan, Laguna was included in the list of inmates who may be candidates for parole.

Sanchez, along with six other co-accused was sentenced for seven life terms for raping and killing UP Los Banos coed Aileen Sarmenta and the death of her companion and fraternity brother Allan Gomez in 2003.

News reports of Sanchez’s possible release sparked protests by students and former classmates of the duo in UPLB, and angered friends and relatives. Some netizens who commented on social media said the impending parole is very frustrating.

Two groups on social media are petitioning against the release of Sanchez and have launched signature campaigns. Public clamor can influence the decision of National Bilibid Prisons officials and the committee that recomputed the seven life sentences of Sanchez.

Meanwhile, Senator Bato dela Rosa was bombarded with negative comments for saying that convicted rapist and murderer Sanchez should be given a second chance in life if he was found to have good behavior record while in prison.

According to NBP records, there are around 11,000 inmates who are candidates for parole. If the 11,000 inmates are released soon, this is helpful in as far as decongesting the crowded NBP facilities, but Sanchez should not be included.

RA10592 of 2013, a retroactive law, allows recomputation of sentences for NBP inmates with good behavior but not for the likes of Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer.

With the small NBP committee created to review and recompute the inmates’ penalties based on good behavior, there is doubt that they will finish reading all folders. And before applying a new law to justify the release of Sanchez, justice must be served for the rape and murder of Sarmenta and Gomez.

Because of Sanchez’s case coming into the limelight, Senators Tito Sotto and Frank Drilon filed separate amendments to RA 10592 purposely to prevent hardened criminals from getting included in the list of inmates who can paroled.

With the law that was passed in 2013, inmates who served with good conduct may be allowed to have their sentences recomputed, although Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon said the inmates’ folders land on his desk and he has the last say on whether the prisoner may be released.

Since this caught the attention of the public, this might urge lawmakers to push for the passage of the death penalty. High profile crimes by anybody should not be included under RA 10592.

For its part, the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) disapproves the commutation of sentence of Sanchez questioning how the inmate’s alleged good behavior became the basis for his release.

His looming release if it will be implemented contradicts the factual report of witnesses that while serving sentence, he acted like a “king” and not a prisoner as he was allowed a television and use of a cellphone to communicate with the outside world.

He was also caught with shabu concealed inside the ceramic statue of Mother Mary in 2010. If he was also able to have his prison cell installed with air conditioning, I suspect his electric consumption in his kubol was at the expense of tax payers.

If these were the reports found in his NBP folder, then Sanchez may not be a candidate for parole and will rot in jail to serve seven life sentences. But if these are disregarded, then Sanchez may go scot free because rape and murder are not heinous after all.