DoJ, DILG start review of GCTA
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:59:21 +0000
The Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Local Government yesterday created a committee to review the rules concerning the grant of Good Conduct Time Allowance that would allow the early release of inmates.
“The Secretary of Justice and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government have issued a Joint Department Order creating a Joint Committee to Review the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10592 and directing the temporary suspension of the processing of time credits and allowances,” said DoJ spokesman Undersecretary Mark Perete.
Joint Department Order No. 001 was signed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano.
“The Joint Committee shall submit its report and draft revised implementing rules and regulations, uniform policy guidelines on the computation of credits and allowances under RA No. 10592 to the Secretary of Justice and Secretary of the Interior and Local Government within 10 working days from the issuance hereof,” the order said.
“In the meantime, and pending conclusion of the work of the Joint Committee, the processing and computation of the credits and allowances provided under RA No. 10592 are hereby temporarily suspended,” it added.
The joint order indicated that the committee which will conduct the review will be composed of 11 members which will be chaired by a DoJ undersecretary and co-chaired by a DILG undersecretary.
Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco will serve as the committee chairman.
Other members of the panel will be composed of the Bureau of Corrections director general, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology director, a DoJ assistant secretary, DILG assistant secretary, the executive director or a representative of the Board of Pardons and Parole, a representative of the Parole and Probation Administration, a representative each of the DoJ technical staff, and another representative from the DoJ Planning and Management Service.
The order also stated that a secretariat or technical working group may also be formed to assist the joint committee and may be composed of appropriate number of personnel from the DoJ, DILG, BJMP, and BuCor.
RA 10592 which was passed in 2013 amended portions of the Revised Penal Code on GCTA and allow the early release of prisoners.
The review is being made in the wake of concerns that rape-slay convict former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez could be released early due to his accumulated GCTA.
Sanchez has been convicted of seven counts of rape with homicide for the deaths of University of the Philippines- Los Banos students Eileen Sarmenta and her boyfriend Allan Gomez in 1993.
He was also convicted of two counts of murder for the 1991killing of Nelson Penalosa and his son Rickson, the supporters of the political rival of Sanchez. (Jeffrey Damicog)