Court of Appeals Ends Case on Long-Serving Inmate After BuCor Withdrawal

The Court of Appeals (CA) has granted the motion of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. to withdraw his opposition regarding the release of Fausto Capuyan, an inmate who has served beyond his maximum detention term. In a resolution issued on September 16, 2025, the CA Special Fifth Division declared Capuyan’s case "closed and terminated," effectively acknowledging Catapang’s withdrawal following his notification that Capuyan has been incarcerated for more than 40 years.

Capuyan was sentenced to reclusion perpetua with a maximum imprisonment of 40 years for murder with abuse of superior strength. He filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC), asserting that he had completed his sentence under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) as stipulated in Republic Act 10592. The RTC ruled in April of the same year granting Capuyan’s petition and ordering his release.

Initially, BuCor Director General Catapang contested the RTC’s ruling, arguing that Capuyan’s computed sentence was only 27 years and 11 months, which fell short of the maximum term. However, upon re-evaluation, BuCor recalculated Capuyan’s incarceration period and found that he had served a total of 40 years, 1 month, and 9 days, thereby surpassing the maximum sentence.

Associate Justice Ramon Cruz, who authored the CA ruling, stated, "Prudently, he (Catapang) re-computed Capuyan’s time served and discovered that the latter had served a total of 40 years, one month, and nine days, thereby exceeding the maximum sentence of 40 years of reclusion perpetua."

The court further noted Catapang’s wish to withdraw his appeal "in the greater interest of justice," while reserving the right to re-file should further legal grounds for detention arise.

The CA approved Catapang’s motion but took no immediate action on Capuyan’s urgent plea for immediate release based on the RTC’s earlier decision. Associate Justices Emily San Gaspar-Gito and Jose Lorenzo Dela Rosa joined in the resolution.