By Bohol Island News Staff | 03:44 PM September 7, 2019
Two convicted rapists released through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law, turned themselves to the police in Bohol, on Saturday, September 7.
Reynaldo Mercado, 51, and Melchor Jumamil, 55, both residents of Purok 7 in Barangay (Village) Upper de la Paz in Cortes town, voluntarily surrendered at Cortes Police Station at past 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 7, after President Rodrigo Duterte asked 1,914 GCTA recipients convicted of heinous crimes to yield to authorities.
Both were convicted of two counts of rape.
The Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) released Mercado on December 18, 2018 after 31 years.
Jumamil was released last April 19, 2019 after 32 years of prison at New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
They were freed based on the GCTA law or Republic Act 10592, as approved by the Department of Justice in a memorandum dated March 12, 2019, which was issued by the Bureau of Corrections Director General Nicanor Faeldon.
They are now under police custody after surrendering to authorities.
Duterte earlier ordered convicts, especially those who were involved in heinous crimes, freed under the GCTA law to present themselves within 15 days to the nearest police station or to the military.
The president told them to submit themselves for investigation to recompute their good conduct credits.
Duterte warned they will be treated as fugitives from justice, if they fail to comply.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier said police will arrest GCTA beneficiaries who will not surrender as ordered.
They will also track their movement and bring them back to jail after the deadline.
According to data of the Bureau of Corrections, there have been more than 22,000 persons deprived of liberty whose GCTA were granted and whose sentences were shortened.
