Pahayag ito ng Palasyo matapos umani ng batikos ang Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) dahil sa pagkakalaya ng mga bilanggo na may karumal-dumal na krimen dahil sa GCTA law.
Ayon kay Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, sa ngayon inatasan na ng pangulo ang Department of Justice (DoJ) na pag-aralan ang posibilidad na maarestong muli ang halos dalawang libong bilanggo na nakalaya dahil sa GCTA law.
“The Office of the President urges the DOJ to study the possibility of re-arresting those released for GCTA but were disqualified by law, such as those convicted of heinous crimes. We note that the case cited by Senator Franklin Drilon, People vs. Tan, where the Supreme Court ordered the re-arrest of a person who was erroneously released by a jail warden based on GCTA, may be a good legal basis for the same. We also note that Article 99 of the Revised Penal Code on the irrevocability on the grant of GCTA is premised on the grant having a lawful justification. Without a lawful justification, therefore, the said grant is void and the person who benefitted from it may not invoke its irrevocability hence can be incarcerated to continue his or her sentence” ayon kay Panelo.
Pagtitiyak ni Panelo na kailanman ay hindi kukunsintihin ni Pangulong Duterte ang mga maling gawa sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon.
“The President will not tolerate any form of injustice being committed under his watch and it is for this reason that he will ensure that the practice initiated by the past administration on the granting of GCTA will no longer continue,” ayon pa kay Panelo.
Paglilinaw ni Panelo, ang administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Benigno Aquino III ang bumalangkas sa GCTA law at hindi sa pamumuno ni Pangulong Duterte.