A former Laguna town mayor convicted for the murder of two college students, one of whom he also raped, more than two decades ago—a crime dubbed as a “plot seemingly hatched in hell”—may soon walk free for his supposedly good behavior.
The ex-mayor sentenced to 360 years in jail for rape and multiple murders could walk free after serving 24 years of his sentence, in a case that has sparked questions, was named earlier this week as qualifying for early release because of “good behaviour”.
Convict Antonio Sanchez, the 73-year-old former mayor of Calauan in Laguna, is one of the at least 11,000 inmates who may be released from prison in the next two months because of Republic Act 10592, which increases the good conduct time allowance and a Supreme Court ruling applying the same law retroactively.
In 1995, Sanchez and six others were sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua or imprisonment of up to 40 years for the gruesome rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta in 1993.
Sarmenta’s boyfriend Allan Gomez was also killed.
Sarmenta was presented to Sanchez as a “gift.” She was raped by Sanchez and his men, while Gomez was tortured and eventually killed.
The decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1999, noting “only the unthinking beasts” can orchestrate this despicable crime.
Sanchez has been in jail for 24 years.
LOOK: Convicted rapist-murderer Antonio Sanchez still detained in Bilibid
Sen. Roland Dela Rosa, former head of the Bureau of Corrections, said in an interview on the ABS-CBN New Channel that the convicted rapist and murderer has become a “changed man” inside the New Bilibid Prison.
Murder of the Peñalosas
Aside from the case of the UP students, Sanchez was also convicted of two other murders.
In 1991, two years before the UPLB rape-slay case, Sanchez's men gunned down father and son Nelson and Rickson Peñalosa. Nelson was a supporter of Virvilio Velecina, Sanchez’s political opponent at the time.
When he was informed of the Peñalosa’s presence at Velecina’s birthday party, Sanchez said, “Bahala na kayo mga anak. Ayusin lang ninyo ang trabaho.”
(It’s up to you. Just make sure the job will be done well.)
His men understood it as an order to kill Nelson, court record showed.
In 1996, the trial court convicted Sanchez and three others of double murder. Sanchez was already in jail then for the rape-slay of Sarmenta and the killing of Gomez.
LOOK: Convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez is still inside the New Bilibid Prison. He is now 73 years old. pic.twitter.com/zNcOh9SHEd— Michael Joe Delizo (@michael_delizo) August 22, 2019
The Supreme Court affirmed that conviction in 1999.
Taken together, his prison sentences could span up to three centuries but Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code states that "the maximum duration of the convict's sentence shall not be more than three-fold the length of time corresponding to the most severe of the penalties imposed upon him."
"No other penalty to which he may be liable shall be inflicted after the sum total of those imposed equals the same maximum period," the RPC also holds.
Former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez, who was convicted for the 1993 rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez
WATCH REPORT HERE:
READ: PNoy’s RA 10592: The Reason Behind Antonio Sanchez’s Release
Found this article interesting? Share it with your friends! 👍🏼
This article first appeared on Philippine Star.
No comments:
Post a Comment