Ex-mayor Sanchez transferred to hospital

FORMER Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez has been transferred to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center ( JRMMC) for further medical tests and treatment of life-threatening illnesses that include a stagefive chronic kidney disease.

Sanchez's transfer from the New National Bilibid Prison Hospital to the JRMMC was confirmed on Monday by Justice Undersecretary and concurrent spokesman Mark Perete and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesman Gabriel Chaclac.

Aside from the kidney ailment, Sanchez also has tuberculosis and multiple electrolyte imbalance.

“He was transferred to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical

Center Friday night, and is being guarded by four BuCor personnel," Perete said in a message.

Sanchez also tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in rapid test. But last Friday, the result of his swab test was negative.

Chalac said the doctors recommended the transfer so that more tests could be run on Sanchez.

Sanchez, who was mayor of Calauan from 1988 to 1993, was convicted of raping and murdering Eileen Sarmenta and killing her boyfriend Allan Gomez in 1993.

The two were students at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Sanchez was meted seven life terms.

Last year, he was again in the headlines after the Department of Justice announced that he might be released from prison under the Good Conduct Time Allowance ( GCTA) Law.

The law reduces the actual time a prisoner serves his or her prison sentence for good behavior while in detention.

The news of Sanchez' impending release sparked a public outcry which forced the DoJ to suspend the grant of the GCTA to prisoners pending results of investigation.

The news that Sanchez could be freed also angered President Rodrigo Duterte, who tacitly said the former mayor was not qualified for a GCTA.