MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday said they will arrest the beneficiaries of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law who will not surrender to authorities within 15 days.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said police will track the movement of convicts released under the GCTA rule and bring them back to jail after the deadline.
“They are given 15 days to show up and submit for investigation to recompute the GCTA. After the deadline, the PNP will track and arrest those who will not surrender themselves to authorities,” Año said in a statement.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered convicts, especially those who were involved in heinous crimes that have been freed under Republic Act 10592, to surrender to the nearest police station or to the military.
“All of you, released under GCTA, you surrender or have yourself registered under BuCor (Bureau of Corrections),” he said on Wednesday.
The president added that he is considering a P1 million reward for the re-arrest of each heinous crime convict.
READ: Duterte orders freed heinous crime convicts to surrender
The Philippine National Police (PNP), for its part, said all police units across the country have been directed by PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde to immediately receive and account about 1,700 prisoners who will heed the president’s order to surrender.
“Likewise, tracker teams will now be deployed to locate these convicts, who will be treated as fugitives if they choose not to surrender,” the PNP Public Information Office (PIO) said in a statement.
“As fugitives from justice, these convicts can be subjected to warrantless arrest,” it added.
Since the law’s enactment in 2013, more than 22,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) have been released due to good conduct credits, 1,914 of which had been convicted of heinous crimes, based on BuCor data.
The implementation of the GCTA rule has been suspended until further notice.
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