President Rodrigo Duterte has issued four proclamations granting amnesty to members of four rebel groups who have committed crimes in pursuit of political beliefs.
Proclamations 1090, 1091, 1092 and 1093 were signed by Duterte on Feb. 5.
Each granted amnesty to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/ Alex Boncayao Brigade and the Communist Terrorist Group.
Crimes covered by the amnesty are as follows:
- 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
- inciting to sedition
- illegal assembly and association
- direct and indirect assault
- resistance and disobedience to a person in authority
- 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 were committed in furtherance of, incident to, or in connection with the crimes of rebellion or insurrection
- 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
The proclamations also stated that the amnesty would not be granted to those who have been proscribed or charged under the Human Security Act of 2007 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Duterte recently signed an order creating the National Amnesty Commission as part of his peace agenda.
Amnesty is a power granted to the president of the Philippines by the 1987 Constitution.
Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution states that the President has the power to “grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the Congress.” John Ezekiel J. Hirro