What happened to our justice system? Mother of Chiong sisters asks

The mother of rape-slay victims Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong on Thursday lamented the state of the country's justice system as she feared the possible release of the convicts behind the crime against her daughters, on the basis of "good conduct."

"Hindi ko talaga matanggap Presidente. Bakit palabas itong mga akusado ko?" Thelma Chiong said in a report by Cecille Villarosa on GMA's 24 Oras. "Bakit ang justice natin... Ano na nangyari sa justice natin?"

This was her reaction after a source of GMA News disclosed a supposed memorandum of release for three of the six convicts behind the abduction, rape, and killing of the Chiong sisters in Cebu in 1997.

"Faeldon ano nang nangyari? Bakit na-commute mo ang sentence ng mga akusado ko? Galing sila sa death row dapat presidential pardon lang sila pwede," the Chiong matriarch said.

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief, Nicanor Faeldon, said the signature on the document was not his.

He neither confirmed nor denied the release of the Chiong case suspects Alberto Caño, Ariel Balansag and Josman Aznar who allegedly benefited from the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law or Republic Act 10592.

"We will not confirm or deny who these people are because since 2013 marami na pong nakalabas na na-grant ng GCTA na henious crime ang kaso," Faeldon said.

The suspects behind the rape-slay of the Chiong sisters had been sentenced to reclusion perpetua in 1999.

It was raised by the Supreme Court to death penalty by lethal injection in 2004.

The decision, however, has been superseded by the abolition of capital punishment in the Philippines in 2006.

"I cannot accept na makalabas silang lahat, I cannot accept this. This is injustice for me, this is injustice for my family na hindi dapat ito mangyari. Sana mag-move on na kami. Ngayon ito na naman? Ano na ba nangyari ngayon sa hustisya natin? Nag-justiis na nga ako eh," Chiong said.

Asked why authorities cannot show the public that the suspects remain in their cell,  lawyer Fredric Santos, chief of the BuCor's legal department said that inmates have the right to refuse requests for public appearance.

"'Yung kay Sanchez po kasi may consent siya. Di ba ang tagal natin before nakita di ba? Hindi mo pwedeng biglang hanapin 'yan for that reason na gusto mong makita, any person na gusto siyang makita, parang gagawing Manila Zoo na nakikita," he said.

The suspect in the rape and murder of college student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her friend Allan Gomez—former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez—recently appeared before the media while inside the New Bilibid Prison after the public outrage regarding his possible release. —Dona Magsino/LDF, GMA News