PHILIPPINE authorities will suspend a program on the early release of convicted criminals for good conduct pending a review of the guidelines, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said at the weekend.

This comes amid an uproar over a plan to free former Calauan Mayor Antonio L. Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer, for what prison officials earlier described as good conduct.

The Justice department has created a task force that will review the rules and will inform the Supreme Court about the suspension, Mr. Guevarra said in a text message.

“We expect the processing to pick up greater speed once the guidelines have been reviewed and firmed up,” he added.

Several senators, including Senator Franklin M. Drilon opposed the plan and said they would investigate it. Mr. Drilon was the Justice secretary who prosecuted Mr. Sanchez, who was sentenced in 1995 to seven life terms for the rape and murder of two University of the Philippines students in 1993.

Presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo on Friday said the ex-mayor was ineligible for an early release because he committed a heinous crime. The spokesman, who was the ex-mayor’s lawyer in the 1993 rape-slay case, earlier denied that he had anything to do with his planned release.

Mr. Guevarra on Thursday said the Bureau of Corrections would evaluate the qualifications of Mr. Sanchez. Last week, he said the convict along with thousands of other inmates would be released for good conduct. Their release, he added, could not be appealed.

Mr. Guevarra yesterday reiterated that under the law, those convicted of heinous crimes are ineligible.

The Supreme Court in June ruled that the law should be applied retroactively. Last Friday, the tribunal denied it ordered the early release of Mr. Sanchez as it ruled based on a judicial doctrine that laws should be applied retroactively when they favor the accused.

Meanwhile, the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) at the weekend warned against the “haphazard” application of time allowance for good conduct of inmates, noting that releasing underserving criminals “would perpetuate injustice.”

“Every case must be examined and thoroughly reviewed, and the transparency of the entire process must be assured, including due notice to victims of crimes,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann C. de Guia said in a statement.

She noted that an early release for good conduct cannot be taken back once granted.

“Equal protection of laws is surely a guaranteed right,” Ms. de Guia said. “But laws should always be reasonably applied to further justice and protect rights.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Arjay L. Balinbin

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