Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas on Wednesday expressed disappointment with the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling which affirmed the inclusion of prisoners convicted of rape and other heinous crimes to easily avail of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA).
According to Republic Act 7659, heinous crimes include treason, plunder, murder, rape, and others.
“Granting GCTA to individuals who committed rape and other heinous crimes may normalize brutal offenses. This diminishes the gravity of the crimes and sentences, causing even more anguish for the victims and their families,” Brosas, the nominee of Gabriela party-list group in Congress, said.
In 2021, Gabriela Women’s Party proposed the exemption of persons of authority from availing benefits from Good Conduct and Time Allowance (GCTA), citing the case of rape-slay convict Mayor Antonio Sanchez.
“At this point, Congress should now amend Republic Act No. 10592 and include in its provisions that persons of authority must not be allowed to avail benefits from GCTA. Instead, political prisoners who have been charged and convicted for trumped-up or politically motivated cases should be prioritized,” Brosas said.
Brosas said “justice, the call of the victims of brutal crimes is not free.”
“What should be focused on is the adoption of laws to hold the guilty accountable, especially those in power, at a time when crime and impunity are increasing in our country,” Brosas stressed.