Guevarra: At time of death, rape-slay convict Sanchez still not qualified for release

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Saturday that deceased rape-slay convict former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez was still not qualified for early release under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) scheme.

“As of the time of his death, Mayor Sanchez was still not qualified for release,” Guevarra said in a statement.

“Mayor Sanchez has reached the end of his natural life. May God forgive him for all his trespasses,” he said.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Saturday morning announced that Sanchez has passed away.

The former Calauan mayor was reported in 2019 as having been due for early release from prison on account of a good conduct-based deductions to his sentence.

Met with public and official criticism, his case triggered authorities to revise the rules for granting prison time allowances.

Sanchez was convicted of the 1993 rape and murder of college student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her friend Allan Gomez.

He had insisted on his innocence in the rape-slay of Sarmenta, a UP Los Baños student, and the killing of Gomez, claiming that he, too, was a victim, having been wrongly convicted.

In September last year, Sanchez was admitted to the national penitentiary's hospital after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Sanchez then requested transfer to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), where then Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said Sanchez, who is over 70 years old, was diagnosed to have "electrolyte imbalance secondary to acute gastroenteritis, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and benign prostatic hypertrophy."

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) then said Sanchez had tested negative for COVID-19.

The BuCor said Sanchez was brought to the National Bilibid Prison Hospital at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, where he was declared dead on arrival.

His body is now subject for autopsy.

“The BuCor is still seeking the conformity of Mayor Sanchez’s family for the conduct of an autopsy,” Guevarra said. -MDM, GMA News