Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday maintained there is nothing the government can do now with the continued refusal of convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez to pay ₱12.6 million in damages for his crimes.

Guevarra made this statement despite senators' demand two days ago that his department exert efforts to force the Sanchez family to heed the Supreme Court's order 26 years ago. Sanchez, then mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was convicted in the 1993 rape and slaying of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Mary Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of her schoolmate Allan Gomez. Sanchez was sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment and ordered to pay civil damages amounting to ₱12,671,900.

READ: The heinous crimes of ex-Mayor Antonio Sanchez

The high-profile case was thrust back into the spotlight following reports Sanchez would be released for demonstrating good behavior in prison, prompting legislative probes. A Senate hearing on Tuesday revealed that the Sanchez family not only failed to pay the damages, they also have no intention of doing so.

Guevarra then gave two explanations why the government's hands are tied: First, state prosecutors only handle the criminal aspects of any case, leaving issues on civil liabilities to the victims' private counsel, and second, the 10-year prescriptive period had long lapsed.

Drilon, however, urged Guevarra to set aside these issues.

"Why don't you let the court decide on the prescriptive period? Why don't you let the Sanchez family oppose a writ of execution... But at least to show to the people that we are consistent with our pursuit of justice," Drilon said.

Guevarra conceded, "We can do so."

But during Thursday's hearing at the House of Representatives on his department's proposed budget for 2020, Guevarra seemed to have stuck to his original stance.

"The principal responsilbity of recovering damages lies with the private prosecutors or private counsel of the offended party. The government's side pertains only to the criminal liability," Guevarra said.

"Hindi naman po namin maipilit na ipilit bilang government prosecutors representing the people of the Philippines na ipilit yung civil libility kung yung mismong private offended party ay hindi nagpapakita ng interest," the Justice chief added.

[Translation: As government prosecutors representing the people of the Philippines, we cannot force the civil liability if the private offended party did not show interest in doing so.]

He said the victims' families could have easily filed a motion within ten years from conviction, and the court could have issued a writ of execution that would force payment – either through cash or through the public auction of Sanchez's properties.

"Bakit hindi inenforce by the time na pwede pang maenforce? Hindi ko na po masasagot yun ngayon dahil 26 taon na po ang nakalipas," Guevarra said.

[Translation: Why was it not enforced during the time that it can still be enforced? I could no longer answer that since 26 years had passed.]

Guevarra made this statements in response to Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, who lamented that the multimillion-peso damages were not even "par" to Sanchez's crimes and yet the family still refused to pay.

Sanchez's common-law wife, Elvira, on Tuesday told the Senate their family "has no intention" to pay because his husband is innocent. The court said otherwise when it found Sanchez guilty.