Ex-Army general Danny Lim to apply for amnesty

Former Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim on Tuesday said he will apply for amnesty being extended by President Benigno Aquino III to those who staged uprisings against the Arroyo administration. Lim said this will allow him to fully cooperate in the Aquino administration's efforts to effect reforms, according to a report by radio dzBB's Glen Juego. "Tayo ay sumusunod sa kagustuhan ng pangulo na mag-avail ng amnesty para mabilis ang reconciliation. Ginagamit ng detractors natin ang di pag apply for amnesty to drive a wedge between us and the president. Hindi totoo yan," Lim said. (We are merely following the President's wish to speed up reconciliation. Besides, our detractors are using the issue to drive a wedge between the president and me, and such claims are not true.) "Pag hindi tayo nag avail nito, di tayo lubos [na] makatutulong sa administrasyon ni (Pangulong) Noynoy (If we do not avail of amnesty we cannot help Aquino)," he added. Lim confirmed his plan in a text message to GMA News Online. He said he will file his application in the afternoon. Lim ran for senator under Aquino's Liberal Party during the May 2010 polls. He lost. He also said his applying for amnesty was not an admission of guilt of rebellion because he was fighting what he called an "illegitimate" government at the time, referring to the administration of then President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In January, he issued a statement stating why he won't apply for amnesty. Lim even stressed that it should be Mrs. Arroyo and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who should admit to committing wrongdoings, and not him. "I have repeatedly stated that I will not admit guilt and/or responsibility to alleged crimes I have not been proven guilty. More so, I will not yield to such a demand, as it would only exonerate [Arroyo], her family and cronies of their colossal crimes against the people," he said back then. Lim was charged with rebellion for the November 2007 standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City when he and several junior officers linked to the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny withdrew their support from Arroyo. He was also separately charged before another military tribunal for violation of AW67 (mutiny) for the supposed plan to grab power in February 2006. In May last year, Lim was given provisional liberty and turned over to the custody of Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Ordoñez, chief of the military’s Philippine Defense Reform office. The Defense Department started accepting amnesty applications last January. As of March 9, 2011, a total of 247 soldiers and police officers – detained for taking part in three attempts to overthrow the Arroyo government – have applied for amnesty. Over 150 applications have already been approved by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin since Jan. 3, including that of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy officer, and Capt. Gary Alejano. — RSJ, GMA News