House backs Duterte’s amnesty grant to rebels

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives leadership, under Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, gave assurance yesterday of the swift adoption of four resolutions granting amnesty to four rebel groups, in support of President Duterte and the country’s peace and stability.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said he, along with Velasco and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod party-list), filed the resolutions that were jointly referred to the House committees on justice and national defense last week.

“We are one with President Rody Duterte’s efforts to attain peace and reconciliation in the country,” the Leyte congressman said, referring to House Concurrent Resolutions 12, 13, 14 and 15.

All of the resolutions support the grant of amnesty to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB) and the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), respectively.

“We recognize this crucial need to accept the request of former combatants for amnesty so we could further stabilize our country and move towards healing, reconciliation and reintegration,” Romualdez said.

“We commit that the House, under the leadership of Speaker Velasco, will work towards the timely adoption of these amnesty resolutions in line with the government’s peace program,” Romualdez, chair of the House committee on rules, added.

Last Feb. 5, Duterte issued Proclamation 1090, 1091, 1092 and 1093 granting amnesty to members of the MILF, MNLF, RPMP-RPA-ABB and CTG who have committed crimes under the Revised Penal Code or special penal laws in pursuit of their political beliefs.

Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman earlier proposed that the amnesty program should not be limited to communist insurgents only, but also include Muslim rebel returnees like those from the Abu Sayyaf group and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Hataman, one of the Muslim legislators in the House, lauded Duterte’s move to open society’s doors through a comprehensive amnesty program for their reintegration into a normal civilian life.

“My question is: do we include all those who have laid or want to lay down their arms in the amnesty proclamations? Are the ASG and BIFF included in this amnesty program?” the former governor of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao asked.

The congressman from strife-torn Basilan urged Duterte to take the peace process a step further and implement a “general amnesty” program, not limiting the amnesty proclamations to members of some rebel groups but to all those who wish to lay down arms and surrender.

Hataman nevertheless expressed willingness to file a resolution in Congress that would signify the chamber’s concurrence with the proclamations.

According to him, many Abu Sayyaf and BIFF members who have returned to the fold and laid down their arms continue to be arrested by state forces, and have been detained without the benefit of any amnesty, unlike leftist rebels who have been given full amnesty.