Makabayan Bloc votes against House reso on amnesty for ex-communist rebels

Members of the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives have voted against the House Concurrent Resolution No. 15 which concurred with President Rodrigo Duterte's amnesty for former communist rebels who committed crimes in the pursuit of their political beliefs.

The House, dominated by Duterte's allies, still passed the measure after 191 House members voted for the resolution and seven against during the session on Wednesday. One abstained.

The Makabayan Bloc members who voted against the measure were Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Carlos Zarate and Ferdinand Gaite, ACT Teachers' party-list Representative France Castro, Gabriela party-list Representatives Eufemia Cullamat and Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago.

The seventh lawmaker who voted against the measure was Quezon City Representative Kit Belmonte.

HCR 15 is a resolution "Granting Amnesty to Former Rebels of the Communist Group Who Have Committed Crimes Punishable Under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in Furtherance of Their Political Beliefs."

Brosas said she voted no because the resolution referred to a "party that was non-existent, fictional, and pandering to terror-tagging being perpetrated by the Duterte administration."

"HCR 15 refers to former rebels of 'Communist Terrorist Group (CTG),' when such term is merely coined by the state security forces," Brosas said.

"How can the Duterte administration grant amnesty to a fictional entity which it created?" she added.

She said using this term was alarming because it was often used by the police and the military in branding as terrorists those legitimate groups who criticize the government.

"How can you accord amnesty to a group which you label as 'terrorist,' and thus produce the effect of designating them as terrorists under the draconian Anti-Terror Law?  HCR 15 is inherently contradictory, to say the least," Brosas said.

Castro said an amnesty could only be real if it was the result of a successful peace negotiation.

"Sa kalagayan ng malawakang polisiya ng pagdedemonisa sa mga lumalaban para sa pagbabalik ng peace talks at para sa mga repormang nilalayon ng peace talks, kaduda-duda ang ganitong amnesty declaration," Castro said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted the resolutions concurring with Duterte's proclamations granting amnesty to members of different rebel groups.

With the following votes, the chamber adopted the resolutions:

• (192, yes; 0, no; 1, abstained) House Concurrent Resolution 12 Concurring with Proclamation 1090 or "Granting Amnesty to Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Who Have Committed Crimes Punishable Under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in Furtherance of Their Political Beliefs;
• (195-2-1) House Concurrent Resolution 13 Concurring with Proclamation 1091 or "Granting Amnesty to Members of the Moro National Liberation Front Who Have Committed Crimes Punishable Under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in Furtherance of Their Political Beliefs;
• (197-0-1) House Concurrent Resolution 14 Concurring with Proclamation 1092 or Granting Amnesty to Members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade Who Have Committed Crimes Punishable Under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in Furtherance of Their Political Beliefs; and
• (191-7-1) House Concurrent Resolution 15 Concurring with Proclamation 1093 or Granting Amnesty to Former Rebels of the Communist Group Who Have Committed Crimes Punishable Under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in Furtherance of Their Political Beliefs

The four concurrent resolutions were filed by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano.

Under Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the President is allowed to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of the Congress.

Velasco said the chamber is in unity with Duterte "in his noble desire to give Muslim and communist insurgents a second chance at life."

"Accepting these rebels back into the folds of the law through amnesty and eventually providing them access to government’s existing socioeconomic services are essential to attaining peace and reconciliation in the country,” Velasco said. —NB, GMA News