Interpol hunting down GCTA convicts

The Department of Justice is checking with the Bureau of Immigration if questionable freed convicts have indeed left the country.

DOJ Usec. Markk Perete said they are verifying the information obtained by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año over the weekend that most of the 1,914 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are already out of the country.

“We are double-checking this with BI as the preliminary report we received from them is to the contrary,” said Perete.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is coordinating with the International Police to track down the convicts who need to surrender as they might have been erroneously freed under the controversial Good Conduct Time Allowance law.

The Interpol agreed to locate the convicts and provide information on their whereabouts but according to Año, re-arresting them is not guaranteed especially if they fled to a country with no extradition treaty with the Philippines.

Earlier, Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said there has been no report from authorities that any of the freed convicts had left the Philippines before an Immigration Lookout Bulletin was released.

Meanwhile, two more convicts in the Chiong sisters Cebu rape-slay case released from prison due to the GCTA will also surrender to authorities, the DOJ confirmed.

Josman Aznar and James Anthony Uy sent word that they will surrender, Perete said.

Two others, Ariel Balansag and Alberto Caño, are back in the custody of the Bureau of Corrections.

Caño, Balansag, Aznar, Uy, Rowen Adlawan, Francisco Juan “Paco” Larrañaga and James Andrew Uy were sentenced to reclusion perpetua in 1999 for the 1997 abduction, rape and killing of sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong.

Larrañaga is currently serving his sentence in Spain by virtue of his dual citizenship.