PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Salvador Panelo has described as "silly" the call for his resignation made by retired judge Harriet Demetriou.
Demetriou, who had convicted former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez, said it was "impossible" for the Palace official not to be involved in the planned release of Sanchez.
In a statement issued Wednesday night, Panelo insisted that he had no hand in the possible early release of Sanchez, his former client, because of the 2013 law lowering the jail time for a prisoner who shows good behavior.
"I find it unfortunate that former Pasig Regional Trial Court Judge Harriet Demetriou has expressed an opinion against me on the basis of pure speculation. Judge Demetriou's call for me to resign is silly, if not absurd," Panelo said.
"I serve at the pleasure of the President, and as his alter ego. I will not be distraught nor derailed by any unfounded remark raised against me. I will instead continue to faithfully perform my duties in accordance with the law, the functions attached to my office as well as the directives given me by the President," he added.
Panelo served as Sanchez's legal counsel in the 1993 trial over the rape-slay of Mary Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of Allan Gomez, both students of University of the Philippines Los Baños.
In 1995, Demetriou sentenced Sanchez to seven terms of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years imprisonment for each term for the deaths of the two students.
Panelo told the retired judge that his office has nothing to do with the possible release of 11,000 prisoners, including Sanchez, under Republic Act (RA) 10592.
"That is the turf and the responsibility of the Department of Justice and the concerned offices under it. I do not intrude nor poke my finger into any matter that is not within the mandate of my office," he said.
"I hope that, being a practitioner of the law, former Judge Demetriou will soon realize that expressing judgmental or condemnatory remarks based on a simple hunch has no place in a profession which values the rule of law," he added.
RA 10592 raises the application of good conduct time allowance for prisoners even during preventive imprisonment, as well as the number of days that may be credited for good conduct.
Panelo made it clear that he made a categorical statement that Sanchez, who was convicted of heinous crimes, was "excluded from the coverage of the law."
"I categorically stated that by express provision of the law, Mr. Sanchez and those similarly situated, meaning inmates charged and convicted of heinous crimes, as well as those recidivists, habitual delinquents, and escapees, are excluded from the coverage of the law," Panelo said.
"On behalf of the Office of the President, I thereafter issued an official statement on the matter expressing such view," he stressed.
Panelo likewise emphasized that there was no government intervention in the early release of inmates with good behavior.
He reiterated that the government was merely following the law.
"Dura lex sed lex (It is harsh but it is the law). There is no way by which those expressly disqualified by law could be considered for release by reason of good behavior," Panelo said.
"As to those who are qualified, there is no need for any intervention from anybody in the government because those qualified inmates will be automatically processed in accordance with Republic Act No. 10592," he added. (SunStar Philippines)