(NI NOEL ABUEL/PHOTO BY DANNY BACOLOD)

MISTULANG inilaglag ni Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra si Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) director Nicanor Faeldon sa pagsasabing hindi dumaan sa opisina ng kalihim ang dokumentong magpapalaya sana kay dating Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez.

Sa ginanap na pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights at Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, inusisa ni Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon kung nakatanggap si Guevarra ng request for approval sa pagpapalaya ng mga presong nakadetine sa piitan sa pamamagitan ng  Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA).

“In the case of Mayor Sanchez, was your approval sought?” tanong ni Drilon.

“No such request has been received by the Department of Justice,” tugon naman ni Guevarra.

Paliwanag ng kalihim, Abril 2018 nang maupo ito sa DOJ kung saan inamin nitong ilang release order ng ilang inmates ang natanggap nito subalit wala itong kinalaman sa GCTA.

“Since I assumed the position of SOJ in April of last year I recall having received only a few requests but these were not in connection with GCTA but in connection with what the BuCor calls as STAL,” sabi ng kalihim.

Paliwanag ni Guevarra, ang STAL o Special Time Allowance for Loyalty ay ipinagkakaloob sa isang inmate kung napatunayang hindi ito nagtangkang tumakas kung may sapat na pagkakataon.

“Other than those two major requests for approval, I would not remember any other requests for approval in the case of persons specifically convicted of heinous crimes,” ayon pa sa kalihim.