BUREAU of Corrections director Oscar Calderon
has recommended to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that former
Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos – convicted for rape of
a minor in 1996 – be released from the National Bilibid Prisons
(NBP) as he had already completed his 16-year jail sentence.
"In the light of the foregoing, (I)
respectfully request that the colonist status of inmate Romeo G.
Jalosjos be confirmed/approved by the DOJ. Our
re-evaluation/re-computation would tend to show that Jalosjos
may have fully served his sentence as of Dec. 14, 2008. Having
served his sentence, (I) request further that he be released
from prison," Calderon said in a letter to Gonzalez.
Supt. Bartolome Busta-mante, Calderon’s
executive assistant, said they will set Jalosjos free as soon as
the DOJ approves it. He denied accusations that BuCor was being
partial to Jalosjos, pointing out that their recommendation for
his release went through the legal process and was approved by
the NBP classification board.
"Jalojos spent five years and 19 days at the
Makati City Jail while his case was being heard at the Makati
regional trial court," Bustamante explained. "When the Supreme
Court upheld his conviction, Jalosjos was moved to the NBP. As
of Dec. 14, 2008, he had already served six years, 10 months and
10 days."
Bustamante said Jalosjos was also entitled to
time off of four years, four months and 14 days for good
behavior while in detention. "If you add all of that up, he has
already served his entire jail sentence. We have no choice but
to release him.
Otherwise, we might be charged with illegal
detention," he said.
Jalosjos was originally sentenced to serve two life terms but
this was commuted by President Arroyo to 16 years, three months
and three days on June 13, 2007. A few months later, he was
quietly released from jail on the supposed order of BuCor but
was quickly rearrested after a public outcry.
