Supreme Court Denies Ordering Release Of Convicted Ex-Mayor Antonio Sanchez
SUPREME COURT – The Supreme Court recently clarified that it did not order the release of convicted ex-mayor Antonio Sanchez.
According to ABS-CBN, the court also clarified on Friday (August 23) that the Republic Act 10592 can only apply retroactively to qualified prisoners.
The Court’s public information office chief Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka, said that they ruled only on the retroactive application of the said Republic Act which only increases good conduct time allowance of prisoners.
Hosaka further said that the premise of the RA 10592’s retroactive application is the fundamental doctrine that penal laws, which favors and is advantageous to the convicted are retroactively applied, in reference to Article 22 of the Revised Penal Code.
ABS-CBN posted twice about the court’s clarification of RA 10592. Here are the posts below.
As per the report, Antonio Sanchez is the former mayor of Calauan, Laguna who is convicted in 1995 to 7 counts of reclusion perpetua, which is equivalent to 40 years of imprisonment.
This is due to the murder of two University of the Philippines Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta and her boyfriend Allan Gomez. Eileen was raped by Sanchez and his 6 henchmen: ex-Calauan deputy chief of police George Medialdea, Luis Corcolon, Rogelio Corcolon, Zoilo Ama, Pepito Kawit, and Baldwin Brion, before she was killed.
Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra was the one who said that the ex-mayor will possibly be released due to a 2013 law which increases good conduct time allowance and the Court’s decision retroactively applying the law.
Reports about the ex-mayor’s release sparked a widespread outrage. Celebrities also reacted to the possible release of Sanchez, including Sunshine Cruz, who played the role of Eileen Sarmenta.
What do you think? How will you react to this? Let us know more about it.