Focus on implementors of GCTA, not on implementing rules -

The Vice President- Leni Robredo finally weighs in and has given her opinion on the controversial Good Conduct and Time Allowance law scandal.

During the senate hearing regarding the budget for the office of the Vice President, Robredo during the sidelines did not made any reservation letting her opinion known that the Senate inquiries into GCTA revealed allegations of corruption.

"That should be the center of the hearing... The hearing may look into what is this corruption happening and why is it happening," the Vice President said in Filipino.

Vice President Leni Robredo
(photo credit to owner)

She gave an advice to the Senate, that the investigation should dwell on the issue as to why the implementation of the GCTA was botched.

"Is it because of the law or is it because of the implementation of the law?” she added.

A week ago Malacanang said that it Sen. Leila de Lima and former Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas drafted the Implementing Rules and Regulation of Republic Act 10592 or GCTA law.

Robredo said that while the implementing Rules and Regulations did not include exceptions—such as convicts of heinous crimes—a DOJ department order “attempted to fill in” the gap in the guidelines.

She noted the DOJ released a department order in 2015 that held that agreement of DOJ chief is needed for the early release of convicts serving reclusion perpetua or life sentence. This department order was released by then DOJ Secretary and now Associate Supreme Court Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

“So the question now is: Was Mayor Sanchez eligible for early release due to the law or due to the implementation of the law?” Robredo said.

“Mahirap na ilihis ito kasi kapag nalihis siya sa tunay na pangyayari, baka paulit-ulit na mangyari ulit, na iyong focus nandoon na sa inyo iyong gumawa ng IRR, hindi na doon sa sino ba iyong involved sa korapsyon kaya nangyayari iyong mga ganitong pagkakataon,” she added.

(It will be difficult to divert this because if the issue is diverted from what really happened, this may happen again and again, that the focus is one who drafted the IRR, not on who are involved in corruption that’s why things like this are happening.)

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Report from PhilStar