Bong Go recommends all BuCor officials handling GCTA be relieved

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go on Monday said he is recommending that all Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials involved in the implementation of good conduct time allowance (GCTA) to be relieved from their posts.

Go said he will pursue this with Justice Secretary Menardo  Guevarra because based on his assessment, the GCTA is being used by alleged corrupt BuCor officials.

“I am recommending to Secretary Guevarra, at nabanggit na rin ito ni Pangulong [Rodrigo] Duterte to relieve all BuCor officials who are handling the process of GCTA,” Go said during a Senate hearing on the GCTA controversy.

“The GCTA is being used to extort money from unassuming prisoners, with the promise that they will be released through the computation of the GCTA,” he added.

Go speculated that even low-ranking officials in the bureau may also be involved in the anomaly given that the GCTA implementation passes through a long process before approval.

“Sa daming sections na dinadaanan, marami na pong sumasakay at maybe nanghihingi,” said Go, who earlier spoke to inmates at the New Bilibid Prison.

According to the Bureau of Corrections, at least 22,049 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) were released from 2014 to 2019 through GCTA, with 1,914 of them had been convicted of heinous crimes such as murder and rape.

The convicts were released on the basis of Republic Act No. 10592, a 2013 law which cuts a prisoner’s sentence for good behavior.

A wife of an inmate at the NBP, Yolanda Camelon, testified before a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing that prisoners in the national penitentiary can avail of an early release through GCTA in exchange of money. 

“Tulad ng isinalaysay kanina ni Ms. Yolanda. Ito, pinapaasa sila,” he said.

The GCTA issue was raised when it was revealed last month that convicted rapist and murderer Anotnio Sanchez could go free due to the policy.  — RSJ, GMA News