Lacson names BuCor exec involved in release of Chiong rape-slay convicts

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday named the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official involved in the release of the prisoners convicted for the abduction, rape, and killing of sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong.

"Kasi yung nag-release naman doon sa Chiong sisters [case] na mga rapist-convict, hindi si [BuCor director-general Nicanor] Faeldon nakapirma doon. Base sa impormation na nakuha ko, kung 'di isang minor official, hindi naman minor, pero may posisyon din siya. Nangangalan [siyang] Marquez," explained Lacson in a radio interview.

Lacson went on to fully identify the BuCor official as Maria Fe Marquez, whose signature was supposedly affixed in the document that permitted the convicts' release.

The senator had earlier disclosed that the Chiong sisters rape-slay convicts were among those recently released due to Republic Act 10592 or the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

Lacson said that the abuse of the GCTA law would be discussed in a joint hearing by the Senate Justice and Blue Ribbon Committees on Monday. 

Faeldon, on the other hand, denied that he had signed the release documents for the Chiong case convicts. The orders were reportedly for the release of convicts Rowen Adlawan, Alberto Caño, and Ariel Balansag. 

The processing for the release of inmates based on the law was recently suspended after news broke that convicted rapist-murderer and ex-Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez would also be set free.

However, officials later backtracked on Sanchez's release, claiming that he was not qualified to benefit from RA 10592 because of the heinous nature of his crimes.

Sanchez and his co-accused were sentenced in 1995 to seven terms of up to 40 years for the rape-slay of UP student Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of her friend Allan Gomez. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News