House panels concur with amnesty for rebels

Two House panels have approved four measures concurring with President Duterte’s proclamation granting amnesty to members of various rebel groups.

In a joint Zoom hearing on Wednesday, the House committees on justice and national defense and security approved House Concurrent Resolution Nos. 12 to 15, authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, majority leader Martin Romualdez and minority leader Joseph Stephen Paduano.

House Concurrent Resolution No. 12 concurs with Proclamation No. 1090, which grants amnesty to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who committed crimes under the Revised Penal Code and special penal laws in furtherance of their political beliefs.

House Concurrent Resolution No. 13 concurs with Proclamation No. 1091, which grants amnesty to members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), while House Concurrent Resolution No. 14 agrees with Proclamation No. 1092 which grants amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas, Revolutionary Proletarian Army or the Alex Boncayao Brigade.

On the other hand, House Concurrent Resolution No. 15 concurs with Proclamation No. 1093 which grants amnesty to former communist rebels.

Separate votes

The President’s four amnesty proclamations cover crimes like rebellion or insurrection, conspiracy to commit sedition, illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, or explosives, direct or indirect assault, etc.

Under Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the President has the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of majority of all members of Congress.

The grant of amnesty extinguishes a person’s criminal liability for crimes committed in pursuit of his political beliefs, without prejudice to civil liabilities for injuries and damages.

During the joint hearing, the justice and national defense and security panels voted separately on each resolution.

In the justice panel, House Concurrent Resolution Nos. 12 to 14 were approved without any objections, while House Concurrent Resolution No. 15 was approved with a vote of six affirmative votes and two objections.

House deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and assistant minority leader and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas objected to House Concurrent Resolution No. 15, questioning the tag of “communist terrorist group.”

Tool to terrorize

As to the national defense and security panel, its members approved House Concurrent Resolution Nos. 12 and 14.

House Concurrent Resolution No. 13 on the amnesty grant to MNLF members was approved with 13 affirmative votes and one objection from Zamboanga City Second District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe.

On the other hand, House Concurrent Resolution No. 15 was approved by the national defense and security panel with 14 affirmative votes and one objection from Zarate.

Brosas, a minority member of the House justice committee, said this resolution would be used to step up the fake surrender of rebels and increase Red-tagging of government critics.

“It will be an added legal tool to terrorize communities and submit to the government’s amnesty program especially as activists and ordinary citizens are killed, illegally arrested and vilified as ‘communists-terrorists,’” she said in a statement.