THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is still waiting for the final list of convicts who are from Bacolod and were released under the controversial good conduct time allowance (GCTA) Law.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of BCPO, said Friday, September 20, they will wait for the communication from the higher office to determine the total number of convicts who were released under the GCTA.

“We will wait for the list of the convicts with their photos and complete details of their case and address so we can tract them,” he said.

He added he received information that there were about 23 convicts who are from Bacolod who were released through the GCTA.

As of Friday, a total of five convicts in Bacolod City who were released under the GCTA voluntarily surrendered in various police stations.

Pico noted that the five convicts, whose names are being withheld, were all residents of Bacolod City and voluntarily surrendered after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the beneficiaries of the GCTA who were convicted of heinous crimes would be subjected to the “shoot to kill” if they could not surrender until September 19.

The five convicts were properly turned over to the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Abuanan, Bago City.

Pico said he already talked with the warden of the NODJ and they were tasked to validate the records of the five convicts so they will be turned over to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

He said the Department of Justice (DOJ) also announced yesterday to put on hold in the meantime the operation to arrest the convicts who were freed through GCTA.

“The DOJ will make a review on this so the operation to arrest the convicts will be put on hold in the meantime,” he added. (MAP)