Solons define good conduct in bill

A bill that would define good conduct in Republic Act 10592 — the law that allowed the release of heinous crime convicts, has been filed at the House of Representatives.

House Bill 4894, filed by representatives from Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Partylist defines good conduct as the “conspicious and satisfactory behavior” of a prisoner.

Under the bill, good conduct consists of active involvement in rehabilitation programs; productive participation in authorized activities or accomplishment of exemplary deeds; ownership of the crime and earnest efforts to seek forgiveness from the victims and their families; and exemplary compliance with institutional disciplinary rules and regulations are also included.

In the explanatory note of the bill, the partylist said RA 10592, which revised the computation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) for the persons deprived of liberty is justice with mercy.

“However, it should only benefit those who deserve it — those who have been reformed and are ready to be reintegrated into the society without posing a threat.”

The bill directs the Secretary of the Department of Justice to formulate an objective and quantitative criteria for the evaluation and credit of GCTA to be used by the Director of the Bureau of Corrections, the Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Warden of a provincial, district, municipal, or city jail on granting allowances for good conduct.

The implementation of the GCTA law is now under public scrutiny after the reported release of nearly 2,000 heinous crime convicts through the said law.

House committee on justice chairperson and Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente Veloso, Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. and Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia earlier filed a bill amending the GCTA law.

The ACT-CIS Partylist Representatives in Congress are Eric Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo and Niña Taduran.