DND approved Trillanes amnesty — news clipping

(Editor’s note: A news story published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Jan. 27, 2011, reported that the Department of National Defense approved the application of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and those of 37 other former officers charged in three military uprisings against the Arroyo government. Below is the copy of the story written by Dona Pazzibugan.)

DND approves Trillanes amnesty

By Dona Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer January 27, 2011 Page A2

THE Department of National Defense (DND) has approved the application for amnesty of the rebel junior Navy officer turned senator, Antonio Trillanes IV, and those of 37 other former officers charged in three military uprisings against the Arroyo government.

The DND also approved the amnesty application of 53 enlisted personnel.

President Aquino last November issued Presidential Proclamation 75 granting amnesty to soldiers, police officers and civilians charged in three failed coups against the government of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Under the terms of the amnesty, rebel soldiers had to admit that their participation in the July 2003 coup, called the Oakwood mutiny, the February 2006 Marine stand-off and the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege was in violation of the Constitution, the Revised Penal Code and the military’s Articles of War.

Defense spokesperson Eduardo Batac said the first batch of approved applications consisted of those that were filed from Jan. 4 to 7.

All the 38 military officers and 53 enlisted personnel who applied on those dates were all granted amnesty, since no opposition against their amnesty was received in the 15 days following their application.

Trillanes and 18 rebel officers, calling themselves the Magdalo group, and 20 enlisted personnel applied for amnesty last Jan. 5.

The five-man amnesty committee last Thursday began processing amnesty applications every day and endorsed these to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for approval.

As a final step, all those who have been granted amnesty have to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

The first administration of the oath to the amnestied rebels is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m. at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo to be administered by Gazmin.

As of Jan. 25, a total of 203 have applied for amnesty, of which 53 are former military officers while 150 are enlisted personnel.

Under the 90-day application period, rebel soldiers and policemen have only until March 31 to apply.