Rolito Go's free: SC orders release of road rage killer
Rolito Go, a construction magnate, was convicted for shooting to death De La Salle University graduate Eldon Maguan in a much publicized road rage incident in 1991. Philstar.com/File photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the immediate release of convicted road rage killer Rolito Go.
The third division of the high court affirmed the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Regional Trial Court for the release of Go, a convicted killer who figured in a 1991 road rage.
Ordering the Bureau of Corrections to release Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco agreed that Go's sentence has been shortened from 2022 to 2013 due to good conduct.
"You are hereby ordered to immediately release Rolito T. Go unless there are other causes for which he should be further detained, and to return this Order with the certificate of your proceedings within 5 days from notice hereof," Velasco said in the order.
Go, a construction magnate, was convicted for shooting to death De La Salle University graduate Eldon Maguan in a much publicized road rage incident in 1991.
Maguan, 25, was then driving along Wilson Street in Greenhills, San Juan when he had a traffic altercation with Go.
In 1993, Go was found guilty by the Regional Trial Court of San Juan City for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua.
But Go escaped from detention and was against arrested in 1996. He began serving his sentence on April 30, 1996 at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
"Therefore, after crediting his preventive imprisonment of nine (9) months and sixteen (16) days, and the regular Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) and Special Credit Time Allowance (SCTA) granted upon him, Go has completed serving his sentence of 30 years on Aug. 21, 2013,” the high court said in its 10-page decision dated Nov. 28 but released to media on Friday.
The high court agreed with the lower court’s ruling that not only the President but also the Revised Penal Code recognizes partial reduction or commutation of sentences.
To implement the provisions of the Penal Code, the high court noted that the Director of Prisons was given the power to grant good conduct allowance.
The Court of Appeals previously ordered his release in May 2014, after uphelding the decision of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) to grant a petition for habeas corpus filed by Go and his wife Elsa in January 2014, which was again appealed by the BuCor. — Reports from Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan, PNA
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