Security logbook in Malacañang showed Presidential Spokesperson and legal adviser Salvador Panelo met with the wife of rapist-killer Sanchez a day before he referred Sanchez’s executive clemency letter.
Elvira Sanchez, the convicted ex-mayor Antonio Sanchez’s wife, visited Panelo’s office at the New Executive Building in Malacañang on February 7 at 10:33 a.m.
The matriarch and daughter Marie Antonelvie revisited Panelo on February 26 at 10:12 in the morning as the logbook showed. On the same day, Panelo referred Sanchez’s application letter for executive clemency to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
Panelo did not deny meeting the Sanchez family twice. He said the meeting was an “official communication.”
“Iyong una basta ang natatandaan ko iyong si asawa; pagkatapos iyong pangalawa galing ako sa press briefing, paglabas ko sa press briefing, sa kuwarto natin, nandoon sila (The first one, I remember it was the wife. After that, the second one, I came from a press briefing and then I saw them in the room. They were there.)” said Panelo in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Panelo denies involvement with rapist-killer Sanchez supposed release
Panelo explained earlier that it was only his duty to respond to or refer any letter addressed to the President as Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.
“The fact of the referral takes away the case from my office. It means we’re not touching it,” Panelo added.
He also cleared that he did not ask Senator Bong Go and President Duterte to recommend Sanchez’s application.
“I did not approach Mr. Go about it, I did not ask him about it, I did not write him about it,” Panelo said. “I did not ask the President, I did not write the President.”
Panelo said earlier that he would file a libel and cyber libel case against Inquire.net and Rappler for the news sites’ malicious reports that he recommended Sanchez’s release.