Ex-rebels can avail of amnesty within two years from Congress' concurrence

Former rebels can apply for the amnesty offered by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. within two years after Congress concurred with the proclamations, National Amnesty Commission chairperson and lawyer Leah Tanodra Armamento said Monday.

Armamento was referring to Proclamation Nos. 403, 404, 405, and 406 granting amnesty to the members of the following rebel groups:

• Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB)
• Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) 
• ·Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
• ·Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) 

“[Then] President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s [amnesty] proclamation only gave us one year [to process applications] from the time of the issuance of the proclamation. But under this [amnesty] proclamation by President Marcos, it gave us two years [to process applications] from the time Congress concurs with the proclamation,” Armamento said during Bagong Pilipinas briefing,

She was referring to Duterte’s amnesty proclamation in February 2021.

The amnesty proclamations would need the concurrence of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“That [two-year timeframe] is a huge help because it will give us enough room to accommdate all applicants because you know, these are people with standing warrants of arrest, and some of them are in hiding. We have to reach out to them. it will take time for us to look for them, locate where they are and go to their places. What we are doing is giving them another shot at being productive members of the community,” Armamento added.

The amnesty proclamation, however, only covers crimes “in pursuit of political beliefs” such as but not limited to rebellion or insurrection; conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion or insurrection; disloyalty of public officers or employees; inciting to rebellion or insurrection; sedition; conspiracy to commit sedition; and inciting to sedition; illegal assembly; illegal association; direct assault; indirect assault; resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or the agents of such person; tumults and other disturbances of public order; unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances; alarms and scandals; illegal possession of firearms, ammunition or explosives, provided that these crimes or offense were committed in furtherance of, incident to, or in connection with the crimes of rebellion or insurrection.

Also covered are those charged, detained, or convicted of common crimes but who can establish by substantial evidence that they have actually committed said crimes in pursuit of political beliefs.

Written amnesty applications under oath will have to be lodged first before the Local Amnesty Board for evaluation, before it reaches the National Amnesty Commission, which will recommend the qualified recipients to the President.

Armamento said that their verification of the ex-rebels’ records will be done in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation.

The  President, she said, will have the final say as to who will be granted amnesty.

“Ultimately, it is the President who will grant the amnesty. We will just be a recommendatory [body],” she pointed out.

“In the meantime, those with standing warrants of arrest will be issued safe conduct pass,” she added.

Likewise, Armamento said the new proclamation differed from what Duterte issued by dropping the terrorist tag on communist rebels.

“This is something new because the [amnesty] issuance of former President Duterte refers to this group as communist terrorist group. Now, it’s CPP-NPA-NDF which is really the name we know them as a group,” she said.

Armamento then thanked President Marcos’ for strengthening the National Amnesty Commission’s mandate by allowing it to be the sole agency to process amnesty applications.

Previously, amnesty applications have to be cleared by the Office of the Presidential Adviser of Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.

“It is a big help that processing amnesty can be done without going through another government agency, so we thank President Marcos for that,” Armamento said.

She said the National Amnesty Commission's initial budget is at P88 million.—AOL, GMA Integrated News