Ex-Defense Chief Gazmin: Amnesty granted to Trillanes, Magdalo above board

The amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and at least 38 other Magdalo soldiers eight years ago are above board, former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Thursday.

Gazmin issued the statement a day after Trillanes showed Department of Defense (DND) documents showing that he and the rest of Magdalo soldiers applied for amnesty and were found qualified for it.

The DND documents were contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte's Proclamation 572 which revokes the amnesty granted to Trillanes on the basis that he never applied for it and did not admit to committing crimes in the first place which are required for the grant of amnesty.

“As far as I can remember all those who were granted amnesty went thru the process,” Gazmin said in a statement.

“I am getting in touch with the Ad hoc committee so that facts can be refreshed as these happened many years ago,” he added.

One of the DND documents was Gazmin's January 25, 2011 letter to then President Benigno Aquino 3rd which states that “after careful review and deliberation, the Committee found their applications to be in order and the applicants applied for amnesty.”

The same January 25, 2011 letter also added that “Hence on 20, 21 and 24 Januarty 2011, respectively, I have approved the recommendations of the DND Ad Hoc Amnesty Committee and thereby granted amnesty to aforesaid officers and enlisted personnel thru Committee Resolutions 1, 2, 3 and 4.”

The January 25, 2011 letter was signed by Gazmin and covered 19 officers, including Trillanes, as well as 40 other enlisted personnel.

Trillanes has also shown DND Ad Hoc Resolution No. 2 which states that the Magdalo soldiers filed their application on January 5, 2011 pursuant to then President Aquino's Proclamation 75 dated November 24, 2010 granting amnesty to soldiers who participated in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, 2006 Marine standoff and 2007 Manilla Peninsula Siege.

“No opposition was filed against the applicants within 15 days following the publication of their names on January 5, 2011 in the designated Bulleitn Boards and the Official Websites of DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines pursuant to DND Ad Hoc Committee Circular 1,” the document read.

All of these documents were also obtained by GMA News Online on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the emergence of the DND documents, the DND claimed that Trillanes' application for amnesty was lost in DND records.

In his application for amnesty, Trillanes ticked the box on 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. In both instances, the Trillanes-led Magdalo group sought the removal of then President Gloria Arroyo over her alleged tolerance of corruption in the military.

The amnesty application also contained a provision stating that they are admitting guilt in all violations of law.

Proclamation 572 is ordering Trillanes' arrest even if there is no pending case or warrant of arrest issued against him by a competent court. —JST, GMA News