Convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez, a former Laguna town mayor, died Saturday, Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaglag said.
Sanchez, former mayor of Calauan town, was found unresponsive at around 7 a.m. in his cell and was declared dead on arrival after being rushed to the New Bilibid Prison Hospital, the BuCor said.
Sanchez was convicted for the rape and murder of UP Los Banos student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her companion, Allan Gomez in 1993. The case was among the most closely followed crimes in the mid 1990s that highlighted the peace and order problem at that time.
There was no sign of foul play, according to the BuCor, noting that the convict's remains will be subject to autopsy as part of standard procedure.
"He (Sanchez) had existing conditions such as chronic kidney disease, hypertension, recurring gastroenteritis, prostate problems, and asthma," Chaglag said.
Chaglag added that Sanchez was last seen alive at around 10 p.m. Friday while he was preparing to sleep.
"When his cellmates woke him up this morning, he was unresponsive," Chaglag said.
In 2019, reports that Sanchez could possibly be released early due to a law that credits a convict's good behavior sparked public outrage and prompted an inquiry on the matter.
President Rodrigo Duterte's chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo, who served as Sanchez's lawyer in the Sarmenta case, also became the subject of scrutiny for referring a letter on the convicted rapist-killer's application for executive clemency to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
Panelo, who was Duterte's spokesperson at the time, said it was only part of procedure.
