Permanent Ink
A person remains the same no matter how much time has passed.
More than a decade after former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez’s imprisonment, outrage erupted in the Philippines when a petition allows the potential early release of the 73-year-old convict. The heinous details of Sanchez’s crimes have reemerged, reminding people about what gruesome acts the former mayor did.
Sanchez’s crimes are like a tattoo that is forever on his skin, and will never disappear.
But because of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law, Sanchez might just have a shot at an early release. The GCTA can deduct his sentence and lay out allowance for good conduct especially since he is a person deprived of liberty.
His crimes may be as heinous as it can get, but there is no denying the potentiality that the GCTA can impose on Sanchez’s sentence.
The senate is also appalled by this issue after Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa remarked that Sanchez deserves a second chance in life. Dela Rosa further said that Sanchez became a changed man in prison. Behavioral change may dictate his sentence deduction, but will it make up for his crimes?
In the eyes of the justice department, however, Sanchez’s crimes and behavior are seen purely as what they are and not a basis for the GCTA. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra indicated that Sanchez would remain imprisoned due to the severity of his crimes.
As a pivotal point in whatever justice is imposed on a criminal, crime should be treated as it is and not what it can lead to.
In addition, it is not only the justice department along with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) who say that Sanchez should remain in prison. The masses also voice out their stand in the form of a petition that affirms his seven life sentences. Sanchez’s crimes deserve nothing more than the penalty they garnered.
The horrific crimes of the former mayor will always remain marked in his life written in his hands with an everlasting stroke. If Sanchez claims he has changed as a person, he cannot say he lost that indelible mark. The things he did will remain with him as a cloud over his head.
About the Author
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Joaquin Jerecho R. Ferolino is a Grade 9 Student of PSHS-CRC. He is a Section Editor of the The Thirteenth Scholars.
He has been recognized nationally and continues to participate in Journalism related competitions.
