Speaking to reporters earlier, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he does not believe a court order or warrant of arrest would be needed..
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 19) — Authorities will begin to run after heinous crime convicts who have not surrendered within the 15-day grace period by midnight, the Justice Department said Thursday.
“The period to surrender will lapse 11:59 tonight (Thursday). After that, effective na ang rearrest,” Justice Undersecretary and spokesperson Markk Perete said.
As of Wednesday, 1,025 convicts have been released because of good behavior time credits. Perete said the Justice Department will send on Thursday to the Interior and Local Department a list of convicts who have not turned themselves in within the President’s deadline.
The list will include convicts’ personal details such as last known address and pictures to prevent mistaken identities.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said convicts who fail to surrender within the grace period will be subjected to warrantless arrests.
“If they don’t, they’ll be considered fugitives. That’s evading sentence. That’s a continuing offense hangga’t di sila nagtu-turn in ng sarili nila. So that provides an avenue for warrantless arrest,” Guevarra said on September 5.
The President also offered a bounty of P1 million to those who can capture a heinous crime convict after the deadline.
Data from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) showed that a total of 22,049 convicts had been freed through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) policy since 2014. Of this figure, 1,914 committed heinous crimes.
A joint committee of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government released Monday the revised implementing rules and regulation of the policy. They expressly exclude heinous crime convicts, among others, from GCTA.
The new rules aim to correct perceived flaws in the expanded GCTA policy under the Revised Penal Code, brought to light by news of the possible early release of rapist-slay convict Antonio Sanchez.
“Bakit kailangan ng court order? Sa aking pananaw ha, hindi na kailangan ng court order dahil parang nagpapunta ako ng husgado. Wala nang warrant of arrest, parang nagpapunta ka pa ng husgado na mag-iissue ng warrant of arrest, e kung yung pagkakalaya mo ay may anomalya,” he sai.
[Translation: Why would a court order be needed? In my opinion, a court order is not necessary because it would be like asking a judge. No warrant of arrest because it would be like sending a judge to issue one, when your were wrongfully freed.]
“Pinayagan kitang lumaya, pero sabi ko kung ang paglaya mo ay hindi in order ang pirma ko doon ay null and void,” he added.
[Translation: I let you go free, but I said if that wasn’t in order my signature is null and void.]
