No reason to believe Panelo behind Mayor Sanchez's release –Guevarra

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said there is no sense in believing that presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo was involved in the impending release of a former mayor convicted of rape and murder.

Panelo was the defense lawyer of Antonio Sanchez, the former mayor of Calauan, Laguna who was sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for the 1993 rape and murder of student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her friend, Allan Gomez.

Sanchez and thousands of other inmates may be released from prison soon as authorities compute reductions to their sentences on the basis of time allowances for good conduct as provided by a 2013 law, which the Supreme Court recently ruled should be applied retroactively.

In a text message to reporters, Guevarra said the New Bilibid Prison, where Sanchez has been detained since 1995, has kept records on inmates' good conduct since before the June 25 SC ruling.

"The matter of computation of GCTAs (good conduct time allowances) is therefore purely ministerial," the Justice chief said. "I have no reason to believe that the intervention of any person, including Sec. Panelo, will be necessary."

Guevarra said the Bureau of Corrections, an attached agency of the Department of Justice, started processing the GCTAs of inmates from 1993. "First in, first out 'yan," he said.

Quoting BuCor Director General Nicanor Faeldon, Guevarra said around 200 inmates, or persons deprived of liberty (PDL), could be released per day.  —LBG, GMA News