Joker wants to suspend Congress hearing on amnesty

Congress should suspend its hearing on President Benigno Aquino III’s proclamation granting amnesty to soldiers accused of involvement in three military uprisings, until the courts decide on the issue, Senator Joker Arroyo said Wednesday. "It would be more prudent for Congress to suspend its hearing until October 27 and hear what the court will say," the opposition senator said. On Tuesday, President Aquino signed Proclamation No. 50, which will grant amnesty to 300 soldiers who joined various “revolts" against the Arroyo administration in 2003, 2006, and 2007. Included among them is detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, formerly a Philippine Navy officer, who is facing coup d’etat charges before the sala of Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 148 Judge Oscar Pimentel and a separate rebellion charge before the the sala of Makati RTC branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda.
State prosecutors said Proclamation 50 preempted the supposed October 28 promulgation of Judge Pimentel's decision on the coup d’état case, which Arroyo said raises some questions. "Why Malacañang had to rush the amnesty proclamation despite the forthcoming decision of the Trillanes et al. mutiny case scheduled on October 28 smacks of executive intervention in the judicial process," Arroyo said. The only way for Congress and Malacañang to not "short circuit" the judicial process is to suspend the hearing, he added. "If it's acquittal, hooray for Trillanes and company, it's a complete vindication for them. If it's conviction, Congress and Malacañang can move to save them via pardon," the veteran senator said. Enrile: Court decision has no bearing Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, however, said that the court decision will have no bearing because despite a conviction, amnesty will prevail. "The memory of the State will be erased," he said in a separate interview on Wednesday. Enrile added that state prosecutors should be thankful for the amnesty proclamation. "They should be thankful that they have nothing to prosecute. No work. What if they lose the case?" he said. Senator Teofisto Guingona III, who heads the Senate committee on peace, unity, and reconciliation, said that they will conduct the hearing on the Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 3 Concurring with Proclamation No. 50 on Monday. “[The] majority wants to see Senator Trillanes join us in action here in the Senate and fulfill the mandate given to him by the people. He and the rest of the soldiers and officers who fought for justice, democracy and [against] corruption must be given a new lease on life especially now we have a new government of transparency, democracy and accountability," Guingona said in a statement on Wednesday. He said the committee has invited the former commander of the Army Scout Rangers General Danilo Lim; retired Marine colonel Ariel Querubin; former 1st Lt. Francisco “Ashley" Acedillo; Major Gen. Renato Miranda; Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Jose Amorado; retired Navy commodore Rex Robles; retired Army colonel Eduardo “Red" Kapunan; and retired general and former National Security Adviser Jose Almonte. Guingona said that they might conduct one or two hearings before tackling the resolution in the plenary.—JV, GMANews.TV