Members of the family of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez arrive at the Senate for the GCTA hearing. Standing in the middle is Sanchez鈥檚 wife Elvira. INQUIRER photo / Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The wife of convicted rapist and murderer former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez was firm in saying that their family would not pay the P11.3 million in damages to the family of her husband鈥檚 victims.
Facing a Senate inquiry on Tuesday concerning a law that nearly resulted in the premature release of the former mayor, Sanchez鈥檚 wife, Elvira, insisted on the high-profile convict鈥檚 innocence.
鈥淟agi po namin sinasabi鈥akit naman po kami magbabayad wala naman pong kasalanan ang aking asawa?鈥� Elvira told Senator Franklin Drilon who asked them if they plan to pay the P11.3 million in damages to the families of murdered University of the Philippines-Los Ba帽os students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez.
But Drilon refuted her and said: 鈥淧ero sinabi ng Korte Suprema, may kasalanan ang asawa niyo.鈥�
鈥淜asama sa hatol yung P12 milyon na sinabi ng Korte Suprema na dapat bayaran ng inyong asawa. Wala kayong intensyong bayaran ito?鈥� he added.
Responding to the query, Elvira said: 鈥淎ctually, 聽your honor, wala po kaming talagang intensyon.鈥�
鈥淜asi po nagsasabi po ako ng totoo. Yung sinasabi po nilang araw, petsa na sinabing ni-rape si Eileen at pinatay si Allan, nasa amin po ang asawa ko,鈥� she went on.
In 1995, then Pasig Regional Trial Court Judge Harriet Demetriou found Sanchez and six of his henchmen guilty in the brutal killing of Sarmenta and Gomez.
The court imposed the penalty of seven reclusion perpetua, each equivalent to 40 years in prison, on each of the seven men. It also ordered them to pay P11.3 million in damages to the families of the two students.
The Supreme Court affirmed the court鈥檚 conviction of the seven men in 1999.
But Drilon said: Sinabi niyo rin yan sa husgado ngunit hindi naniwala ang husgado. /jpv
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