Senate mulls expediting amnesty grant for mutineers

The Senate may do away with committee hearings to expedite or speed up the concurrence of the chamber on the amended proclamation granting amnesty to over 300 mutineers. In an interview with reporters on Friday, Senator Teofisto Guingona III chairman of the committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation said he will consult his colleagues about conducting the hearings. "If we agree na wala nang (that there would be no more) committee hearing, whatever points and questions that (they) want to brought up about the proclamation can be brought up on the floor already," Guingona said. However, he expressed confidence that the Senate would be more than willing to expedite the process. "Even before the proclamation, there was a clear sense of the Senate that they wanted to grant amnesty to these people," he said. On October 6, the Senate approved a resolution asking President Benigno Aquino III to grant amnesty to mutineers. Five days later, Aquino signed Proclamation No. 50 which aimed to grant amnesty to soldiers involved in at least three attempts to overthrow the Arroyo administration. Among those who stand to benefit from the amnesty proclamation is detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who is facing coup d’etat charges before the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 148 in connection with the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny and rebellion charges before the Makati RTC branch 150 for the Nov. 2007 siege of the Peninsula Manila hotel. For the amnesty grant to take effect, the concurrence of Congress is needed. On October 18, the Senate panel headed by Guingona immediately approved the resolution concurring with the amnesty proclamation at the committee level. However, the Senate and the House of Representatives noted some "flaws" in Proclamation No. 50, prompting Malacañang to recall the same and issue an amended amnesty proclamation. On Thursday, Malacañang formally transmitted Proclamation No. 75 — the amended amnesty proclamation — to Congress. Guingona said the amended proclamation is more "precise" than the original. "It contains what we wanted so it's alright," he said. He said they will probably tackle the resolution concurring with the amended proclamation after the budget deliberations next week or the week after. — RSJ/VVP, GMANews.TV