By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) Directorial Staff chief, Police Colonel Marlon Tayaba, announced they have suspended the transfer of convicts freed under RA 10592, an amendment to the Revised Penal Code referred to as the “Good Conduct Time Allowance Law,” to the Bureau of Corrections in compliance with an order from President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a radio interview yesterday morning, Tayaba said they temporarily suspended moving surrendered convicts after receiving a formal order from Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters.
According to the PNP director for operations, the bureau has yet to submit its final list of convicts who were found guilty for heinous crimes. While a list had been submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and PNP, it was found to have a lot of errors.
Despite the suspension, Tayaba said police will continue accommodating surrendering convicts and will undergo the normal booking process.
He also confirmed, amid the suspension, they have resumed an earlier practice of asking for a surrendered convict’s contact information in order to allow them to return home for the time being.
Of the 149 convicted of heinous crime believed to be living in Western Visayas, Tayaba said 74 have surrendered.
Last week, PNP deputy director, Police Lt. General Archie Francisco, affirmed the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Justice (DOJ) provided a one-day extension for convicts.
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.
Francisco added, the DOJ is preparing a clean list of convicts released under the said law.
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