students.
The media successfully prodded public sentiments--the
OPINION: A criminologist's view on the
Good Conduct Time Allowance law
Ellen T. Tordesillas
Posted at Aug 26 2019 12:25 PM
I will still have to give credit to justice reporters for alerting the
public about the possible release of the notorious former mayor of
Calauan, Laguna, Antonio L. Sanchez, which brought back the
horror and rage over the heinous crime he and his men committed to
two UPLB students 24 years ago.
The outrage forced Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to backtrack
from his lenient attitude towards Sanchez’s release, which could
have been made possible by an erroneous application of the Good
Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
The controversy has imperiled a measure meant to make up for the
flaws in our justice system.
Raymund Narag, assistant professor at Southern Illinois University,
posted an illuminating piece on the issue in Facebook.  by the rich and powerful, such as the creation of the Management
He knows whereof he speaks. He said, since 2013, “I had been
painstakingly and silently helping the correctional agencies on the
proper implementation, documentation, and computation of the
GCTA law.”
I’m reposting in full his commentary titled “Media sensationalism,
bureaucratic ineptitude, and the quest for justice for the common
tao”:  efficient and equitable manner.
“The Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law is now in
jeopardy. The media continues to sensationalize the issue by
repeatedly tying it to the supposed impending release of Mayor
Antonio Sanchez. The media masterfully stroked public fears by
repeatedly revisiting the gruesome rape and murder of two pitiful UP
Department of Justice Secretary and the Bureau of Corrections
Director backtracked, and they now promised to meticulously review
the case. However, the backlash is so powerful that the law is now
being questioned as being soft on crime, and even if not the media's
intention, it has led to the calls for the re-imposition of the death
penalty.
“Media's sensationalism was abetted by bureaucratic ineptitude.
Secretary Guevarra, Director Faeldon and Spokesperson Panelo
provided inaccurate and stupid answers. They were baited by the
media, and they messed up bigtime. If they know the law and its
implementing rules and regulations , they should have mentioned
that the awarding of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA),
Time Allowance for Studying, Teaching and Mentoring (TASTM),
and Special Time Allowance for Loyalty (STAL) can be suspended
if inmates are engaged in bad behaviors, such as drug dealing,
sneaking of contrabands, and participating in prison violence. They
could have mentioned that ‘heinous crimes’ may not be covered by
the law. They could have mentioned that there are sufficient legal
and procedural remedies to make sure that the law will not be abused
Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC), which is composed
of BJMP/ BuCor rehabilitation officers and Parole and Probation
Officers, who will evaluate the monthly awarding of the GCTA.
They could have mentioned the different ways to document actual
behaviors such as strengthening case management through
computerization of the Carpeta System. They could have assured the
public that they are on top of the implementation of the law in an
 
“They should have immediately and unequivocally ruled that Mayor
Sanchez and those druglords who testified against Senator Delima
are denied GCTA credits due to documented involvement in the drug
trade.
“Instead, these bureaucrats mumbled incoherent opinions that shows
ignorance of the law. In different accounts, they said that this law
was passed by the previous administration and that they are simply
implementing its provisions, thus lamely deflecting blame. They also
incorrectly argued that the law ‘automatically’ benefits everyone
without consideration of the gravity of the offense and their actual
performance in jail or prison, suggesting that it is not their
discretionary power to release or detain, a very meek excuse on how
they will professionally exercise authority. Worse, they utilize a
humanitarian narrative, that this law is for a ‘second chance’ for all
offenders, which is a very hypocritical stance given the current
administration's bent of putting small-time drug offenders behind
bars and killing those who resist arrests. All the legal gobbledygook
spinned by these inept bureaucrats had become cannon fodder to the
devourous media which had utilized effectively these responses to
mock the spirit and letter of the law. And now that they are cornered,
they immediately changed tune, and are rediscovering the correct
answers.
“In the end, it is the common tao who will be at the disadvantage.
Instead of focusing on how the law will be implemented efficiently
and equitably, the media has been enamored by gruesome examples,
and this law will be soon scrapped or will have limited application.
The jail and prison officials will be very afraid to exercise their
professional discretion to release a reformed offender simply because
of the horrendous backlash that they will face from the unenlightened
media and the public
“What is missing in all the discussions is the efforts of nameless
offenders given long term sentences and defendants caught in the
lengthy trial processes who are simply trying to reform themselves
and to improve their chances upon release by utilizing the provisions
of the law. The efforts of the rank and file in the BJMP, provincial
jails, and BuCor to develop and implement the principles of effective
correctional management by identifying the criminogenic risks of the
offenders and addressing those risks, which is congruent to the
rational of the GCTA law, will soon be thrown under the bus.”
“Media sensationalism and inept bureaucrats are a lethal combination
that disadvantages the common tao. It is time that responsible media
practitioners and enlightened bureaucrats shine light in the Philippine
society.”
 
 ***
Media should now take the responsibility of undoing the confusion
its reporting has caused and help in making the public understand
this law.

"The issue has become a politically confusing mess: the media

sensationalism ignited concerns that heinous criminals will soon be
out there tormenting the Philippine society, thus even erstwhile
liberals (those who oppose the death penalty) are unexpectedly
calling for a more hardened approach to crime. On the other hand,
these sentiments are now appropriated by conservatives to justify
calls for the continued use of Extra-Judicial Killings and the legal re-
imposition of the death penalty. This penal populism is wrecking
both sides of the political spectrum.