Drilon: Sanchez’s case did not pass through screening and evaluation panel

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon expressed belief Monday that the release of convicted ex-Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez did not pass through the regular process.

Drilon said the case of Sanchez was not in the minutes of the Management Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC) submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice committees.

The MSEC deliberates whether inmates should be granted good conduct and time allowance or not. 

The screening and evaluation of inmates' entitlement for time allowances is the responsibility of the MSEC, which will submit its recommendations to prison authorities.

“The minutes (of MSEC) that you submitted did not seem to include Mr. Sanchez as among those whose entitlement to the GCTA was taken up, contrary to your rules,” Drilon told Fredric Anthony Santos, Bureau of Corrections legal division chief, during the resumption of the hearing.

Santos said he will check again the minutes as these were just submitted to him and he submitted it to the committee.

“None of the  minutes submitted would specifically take up the case of Sanchez. Just for the record, upon the examination of the (Senate) technical staff, none of the minutes submitted by the BuCor would show that Mr. Sanchez went through the MSEC and therefore, we are wondering how he was included (in the list of those to be released),” Drilon reiterated.

Senator Richard Gordon then asked Santos if the case of Sanchez was discussed by MSEC, to which the latter replied in the negative but was not able to complete his answer.

“Hindi po sa MSEC, dahil sa desisyon ng Supreme Court,” said Santos.

Drilon said the minutes of the MSEC showed that the case of Sanchez did not pass through MSEC as required by law.

Former BuCor director general Nicanor Faeldon admitted he was also not aware if Sanchez’s case was discussed by MSEC as the paper for his release was just brought to his desk for approval.

“I’m not aware because when I looked at the documents I saw that it passed through the Office of Security and Operation, the acting chairman of the national MSEC, so when there is an endorsement from that office, my assumption was it passed through all the other requirements before it reaches my office,” he said.

Faeldon earlier said that he signed the memorandum for the release of Sanchez but immediately recalled it. — RSJ, GMA News