Allan Gomez’s brother on Sanchez' denial of crime: They never proved their innocence

OJ Gomez, the brother of slain University of the Philippines student Allan Gomez, on Sunday said those convicted over the killing of his brother never proved their innocence.

After decades of the guilty verdict, former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez insisted on his innocence and claimed that he was wrongly convicted in the rape-slay of UP Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her friend Gomez in 1993. 

“Admission of guilt is very hard for this kind of people,” OJ said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Sunday.

“Never po nila na-prove otherwise, na magkaroon kami ng duda na hindi siya,” he added.

Gomez: Admission of guilt is hard for this people. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 24, 2019

According to OJ, the suspects including Sanchez failed to debunk the star witness and the testimonies pinning them down.

“Never po nilang natinag 'yung ating star witness. 'Yung mga account ng salaysay nila, hindi po nila natinag 'yan,” OJ said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said Sanchez may soon be released from prison as authorities recompute deductions from his sentence for good conduct as recommended by law.

Sanchez is one of thousands of inmates said to be eligible for the recomputation of good conduct time allowances on the basis of Republic Act No. 10592 and a Supreme Court ruling that made the effectivity of the law retroactive, according to Guevarra.

“Once na nakalabas, ang sinasabi nila ay wala na kaming habol. 'Yun po ang kinatatakot namin,” OJ said.

“Noong nalaman ko po ito ng Martes ng gabi, ang ikinakatakot ko ay hindi para sa akin kundi para sa aking nanay,” he added.

However, after reports of the possible early release of Sanchez, Malacañang on Friday said convicts serving sentences for heinous crimes like Sanchez are not eligible for early release from prison.

“Magandang balita po ‘yun,” OJ said.

“Pero ang sinasabi po ni [presidential spokesperson Salvador] Panelo ay wala naman po daw talagang power ang Presidente over this law. So we are torn. Nasaan ba tayo? Ano ba ang gusto nilang mangayari talaga?" he added. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News