The Supreme Court of Friday clarified it did not order the release of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez following its decision to apply the Republic Act 10592 retroactively, granting deserving inmates increased good conduct time allowance.

In a press briefing, Supreme Court public information chief Brian Kieth Hosaka said the judiciary "merely interpreted the law" and ruled it should be applied retroactively rather than prospectively.

"First, the Supreme Court did not order the release of Mayor Sanchez in its recent decision in the consolidated cases entitled Inmates of the new Bilibid Prison et al. vs. De Lima, et al., GR No. 212719 and Edago, et al. vs. De Lima et al., GR No. 214637," Hosaka said.

"In those cases, the primary issue was the legality of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10592 which provided for the prospective application of the said law," he added.

Hosaka said the Supreme Court did not made the policy increasing good conduct time allowance and other time allowances to qualified inmates.

He explained it came from RA 10592 which was enacted and passed by Congress in 2013.

"The implementation of RA 10592 is not within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Like all laws, it is to be implemented and executed by the executive branch of the government. Again, the judiciary merely interpreted the law and ruled that it can be applied retroactively," Hosaka added.

Hosaka made the statement after the Bureau of Corrections said Sanchez, sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua for the rape-slay of Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of Alan Gomez in 1993, could be set free soon since he had accumulated enough “good conduct time allowance (GCTA)” under Republic Act 10592. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS