By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) spokesperson, Police Lt. Colonel Ariel Pico, recently confirmed six convicts who were earlier released under RA 10592, an amendment to the Revised Penal Code referred to as the “Good Conduct Time Allowance Law,” have surrendered. According to authorities, Police Station 2 recorded three surrenders, two from Police Station 5, and one in Police Station 1.
Pico said the convicts were immediately processed by police before being turned over to the Negros Occidental Provincial Jail in Bago City.
The BCPO spokesperson said, despite the earlier extension provided by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Justice (DOJ), the Philippine National Police (PNP) tracker teams already commenced with monitoring.
He also addressed the remaining convicts who wish to surrender, directing them to proceed to the nearest city police station.
The BCPO official also affirmed they have not yet received the official list from the Bureau of Corrections and the DOJ and DILG are currently equipped with a list provided by Police Regional Office-6.
Earlier, PNP deputy director, Police Lt. General Archie Francisco said the DILG and DOJ likely made the extension due to the request of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The PNP official said a lot of convicts have surrendered to police, even those not covered by the good conduct law, which he claims may have been a result of threats from the president.
“To be safe, they probably decided to surrender instead of being subject to arrest,” he pointed out.
The good conduct law earlier came to light after it was revealed convicted rapist-murderer Antonio Sanchez, former mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was set to be released for “good conduct.”
He was sentenced to seven life sentences for the murder of two University of the Philippines-Los Baños students in 1995. One of the victims was also reportedly raped by Sanchez and his henchmen.
Duterte later ordered Sanchez to remain in prison as the law was temporarily suspended pending an amendment by lawmakers./DGB, WDJ