Joint DOJ-DILG committee given more time to finish draft manual on GCTA law
By Jeffrey Damicog
A joint committee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been given more time to finish the draft of the revised uniform manual of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (Screenshot / RTVM / PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Despite this, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra has assured that the revised Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 10592, also known as the GCTA law, was already being implemented.
“Even without that operating manual, the computation of the GCTA based on the revised implementing rules and regulations that the DOJ came up with together with the DILH are enough to continue the processing of the GCTA,” he told reporters on Monday, December 9, at the sidelines of the Sikhay Laban sa Korupsyon (SiLaK) event of the Office of the Ombudsman at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
The joint DOJ-DILG committee, which is led by Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco, drafted the revised IRR which was signed by Guevarra and DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano last September 16.
After the IRR was signed, Guevarra and Ano ordered the joint committee to review the manual within 60 days.
“They asked for an extension,” said Guevarra.
“Marami ring ginagawa yung oversight committee (the oversight committee has been doing a lot of work) so they asked for an extension,” he explained.
Guevarra expressed hope that the committee will be able to finish the draft of the revised manual by January.
RA 10592 was passed in 2013 and revised provisions of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) which allowed the earlier release of convicts due to the increase of GCTAs granted to them.
However, the review of the law’s IRR and manual was prompted due to concerns that rape-slay convict former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez and other unqualified inmates convicted of heinous crimes could be released due to their GCTAs.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (Screenshot / RTVM / PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Despite this, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra has assured that the revised Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 10592, also known as the GCTA law, was already being implemented.
“Even without that operating manual, the computation of the GCTA based on the revised implementing rules and regulations that the DOJ came up with together with the DILH are enough to continue the processing of the GCTA,” he told reporters on Monday, December 9, at the sidelines of the Sikhay Laban sa Korupsyon (SiLaK) event of the Office of the Ombudsman at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
The joint DOJ-DILG committee, which is led by Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco, drafted the revised IRR which was signed by Guevarra and DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano last September 16.
After the IRR was signed, Guevarra and Ano ordered the joint committee to review the manual within 60 days.
“They asked for an extension,” said Guevarra.
“Marami ring ginagawa yung oversight committee (the oversight committee has been doing a lot of work) so they asked for an extension,” he explained.
Guevarra expressed hope that the committee will be able to finish the draft of the revised manual by January.
RA 10592 was passed in 2013 and revised provisions of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) which allowed the earlier release of convicts due to the increase of GCTAs granted to them.
However, the review of the law’s IRR and manual was prompted due to concerns that rape-slay convict former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez and other unqualified inmates convicted of heinous crimes could be released due to their GCTAs.