‘Former mayor deserves to rot in prison’

MANILA, Philippines — Relief followed days of anguish for the mother of Mary Eileen Sarmenta after the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) declared that her daughter’s killer Antonio Sanchez will not be released from prison after all.

Clara Sarmenta lauded the BuCor for reevaluating the case of Sanchez and ruling out his release under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law or Republic Act 10592.

Sarmenta yesterday told The STAR how she was hoping and praying hard that Sanchez would no longer see freedom. “For me, he deserves to rot in jail.”

She said it was relief for her and her family to hear that Sanchez would not be allowed to walk free.

“Our plea was heard by our government, to reevaluate the alleged good conduct of Sanchez in prison. May they continue to be contentious in everything they do,” Sarmenta said. 

She also said she is grateful to God for hearing her prayers. The thought of Sanchez getting back his freedom is something she has always dread. “Hoping and praying that this time will not come because for me, [Sanchez] deserves to rot in jail for the heinous crime he committed,” she said.

Earlier, Mrs. Sarmenta questioned the supposed good conduct of Sanchez, noting that he was involved in illegal drugs in several instances while in detention.

She said the former mayor has failed to show remorse even after his conviction, adding that he had not complied with the court ruling directing him to pay for damages for his crimes.

“We are not after the money, but he has to make good on the damages,” she said in an earlier television interview. “We didn’t even see any remorse from him. What we’re asking is for him to show us that he’s sorry for what he did… He did not comply with what the SC said.”

BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday said that based on preliminary examination of Sanchez’s case, he may not be qualified to go home because of “not good” behavior.

He said it might take several years before Sanchez could be released, under the GCTA Law.

Outrage

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s recent announcement that Sanchez, along with thousand of other convicts, could benefit from GCTA and might be released had sparked outrage.

It was also learned yesterday that Sanchez had been twice denied of his application for executive clemency in 2018 and in February this year

A resolution by the Board of Pardons and Parole dated Feb. 27 affirmed an earlier decision denying the petition of Sanchez on Dec. 10, 2018.

The board cited the “gravity of the offenses he has committed” for rejecting his application for clemency.

Sanchez was also convicted for two counts of murder. He was convicted of four counts of violation of code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.

“The board resolved, as it is hereby resolved, to deny the motion for reconsideration dated 1 December 2018 of PDL Antonio Sanchez. The Board further resolved to reiterate its previous action dated 10 December 2018 denying his petition for executive clemency,” the resolution read.

The board, however, said the President is ultimately the one empowered to grant executive clemency.

Disparity

For Vice President Leni Robredo, the ruckus over news of Sanchez’s possible release from prison “highlights again the disparity between the rich and the poor.”

“Why are the rich who committed heinous crimes will be given the chance to walk free while he has yet to serve his sentence,” Robredo said in an interview in Balangkayan, Eastern Samar.

“The poor, who are denied of due process, were being killed. So what message it gives the public, that if you are poor, pity on you,” said Robredo, who spent years as a human rights lawyer.

Meanwhile, the online petition asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop the release of Sanchez continued to gain traction.

As of Friday afternoon, the Change.org petition – started by Quezon City resident B Vergara – has already obtained 121,000 signatures.

The petition called on Secretary Guevarra to let Sanchez serve the seven counts of life imprisonment imposed on him.

“I spent a few summers with Allan. We played board games, poker, drank beer – stuff 19 year-olds would do. I considered him a good friend. Eileen was the roommate of an ex-girlfriend. While we seldom crossed paths, by all accounts her friendship was a gift,” wrote Vergara, referring to Allan Gomez, Sarmenta’s fellow University of the Philippines – Los Baños student who was also killed by the mayor’s henchmen.

“Both were loved by friends and family. Both lives tragically taken from us. Sanchez does not deserve a life outside prison,” he added.

The petition noted that Sanchez – former mayor of Calauan, Laguna – used his power and position to commit the crimes he was convicted of.

“His actions terrorized a university and an entire town. For full justice to be served, he must remain incarcerated for the duration of his lifetime,” it added.

Groups advocating for the rights of women and children also condemned the moves to release Sanchez.

In separate statements, the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) and Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said the development was “latest proof of the flawed sense of justice in the country.”

“We are enraged but we are not surprised. In the current administration, where killings and sexual abuses are justified and dissent is considered as a terroristic act, the impending release of Sanchez only reflects the culture of impunity and the distorted sense of justice under President Duterte,” the CWR said.

Gabriela secretary-general Joms Salvador said, “To grant Sanchez freedom is a huge injustice to Eileen Sarmenta and several other victims of violence against women.” – With Helen Flores, Rhodina Villanueva, Janvic Mateo