House OK on amnesty proc seen next week

An ally of President Benigno Aquino III in the House of Representatives is optimistic that the chamber will approve the resolution concurring with the proclamation granting amnesty to rebel soldiers before Congress takes its Christmas break next month. “I think we have enough votes to secure that Proclamation 75 be approved as is," Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III told reporters on Monday. He said a new resolution amending the House Concurrent Resolution 7 that was authored by him, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzalez III would be filed on Tuesday. A new resolution has to be filed because of the changes introduced in the earlier issued Proclamation 50, which was amended by Proclamation 75. Tañada said the resolution would be referred to the House justice committee on Tuesday and would be heard and voted on in the committee on Wednesday. “It would be filed tomorrow, hopefully have the hearings on Wednesday and if there are no obstacles, we would vote on it also on Wednesday at the committee level," he said. Tañada said the House is keen on approving the resolution this week or next week at the latest. "After [the] committee, the resolution will have to go through plenary for the vote and want it out, everything settled before we go on break on December 16. So in order to meet that, the earliest that we should approve it is on Wednesday, the latest is Monday or Tuesday the following week," he said. "If we do not approve it by next week baka hindi na hahabol sa (it may not make it to the) plenary before the 16t.h. We would like to vote on it on Wednesday to give it a chance to be passed to the plenary before we go on break," he added. Admission of guilt He said the issue on whether a mutineer has to admit guilt for the crime he supposedly committed or not before the grant of amnesty could be included in the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) that will be drafted after the Congress concurs on the Proclamation. During the last hearing, some lawmakers insisted that there must be admission of guilt before an amnesty could be granted on the receiving party. House justice committee chairman Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, citing People vs Vera case, stated it would be inconsistent for someone to seek forgiveness for a crime he did not commit. Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said during the hearing that admission of guilt is not a condition in granting amnesty. Among the major revisions in the proclamation is the inclusion of active and former personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who may have been involved in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, 2006 Marine Stand-off, and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege as beneficiaries of the amnesty grant. The Palace likewise deleted the phrase from the old proclamation that would also grant active and former personnel of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and their supporters who were involved in “related (mutiny) incidents." It also specifically stated that the amnesty grant should not cover “rape, acts of torture, crimes against chastity, and other crimes committed for personal ends." Among those who are expected to benefit from the amnesty grant 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 2003 Oakwood mutiny and rebellion charges before the Makati RTC branch 150 for leading the siege of the Peninsula Manila hotel in November 2007. Trillanes was a Navy officer prior to his stint in the Senate. He was deemed resigned from the service when he filed his candidacy in the 2007 midterm elections. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV