President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the concerned government agencies not to allow convicted rapist and murderer former mayor Antonio Sanchez of Calauan, Laguna to be released from jail.

In an interview with reporters in Taguig City at the sidelines of the National Heroes' Day celebration, Duterte's former close aide and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said the President made the directive to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon.

"He (Duterte) made the order not to release Sanchez. Upon the order of the higher authority. Meaning, who is the higher authority? Only one, the President of the Republic of the Philippines," he said.

Go said Duterte, a lawyer, has studied Republic Act 10592 or the law on Good Conduct Time Allowance and it provides that those who committed heinous crimes are excluded from benefiting from the statue.

Sanchez was sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua or each term is equivalent up to 40 years for raping and killing University of the Philippines-Los Banos students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez in 1993.

Guevarra earlier said Sanchez could be among the 11,000 inmates who could benefit from RA 10592. However, this drew negative reactions from the public, including relatives of Sanchez's victims.

Go said he himself was not in favor of Sanchez's release from the New Bilibid Prison.

"Even me, I said that he (Sanchez) should no longer dream of coming out from jail. You should suffer inside (the jail) for the sins that you had committed," he said.

Go added if Sanchez would even dream of getting shorter jail term, his life could even be shorter.

"Just remain there. Just wait for the sentence of Saint Peter," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS