From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 20, 2023): Palace amnesty offer to rebels get House leaders' support (By ELLSON QUISMORIO)
AT A GLANCE- Ranking congressmen have expressed their backing of the Marcos administration's impending grant of amnesty to rebel fighters--including members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)--with some solons saying that it could end insurgency as we know it.
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (PPAB, Facebook)
Ranking congressmen have expressed their backing of the Marcos administration's impending grant of amnesty to rebel fighters--including members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)--with some solons saying that it could end insurgency as we know it.
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop, and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan all found wisdom in President Marcos' offer of amnesty.
"That's a manifestation of this administration's thrust of unity, as espoused by Bongbong Marcos during the 2022 campaign season," said Barbers, chairman of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
"Granting amnesty to rebels is a clear indication of President Marcos' desire to achieve peace in the country, since peace is a requisite for development. Hopefully the rebels will accept this as a step toward ending the senseless killings and fighting among Filipinos, thus ending the six decades-long insurgency," he added.
Rodriguez confidently said, "This will finally end the decades-long rebellion/ insurrection of the CCP-NPA in our country. These rebel returnees should be given housing, work/ livelihood and some capital to ensure they will be soon be properly integrated in our society."
"I fully support this proclamation from PBBM (President Marcos)," stressed Rodriguez, chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
Another House of Representatives official, Chairman Acop of the Committee on Transportation, said the offer of amnesty in line with Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution, which provides that the President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of Congress.
"I fully support the President’s move to issue a proclamation granting amnesty since reconciliation efforts contribute to preventing the recurrence of conflict towards building a more peaceful, resilient and prosperous society," he said.
"We have learned that reconciliation--while difficult and complex--is a process through which our society can move forward from a divided past to a shared future as Filipinos," noted Acop, also a former police brigadier general.
Barbers, Rodriguez, and Acop are all members of the House majority.
For his part, Libanan, the leader of the House minority bloc, called the amnesty offer "a window for reconcillation".
"It will be a window for reconcillation however, our government shall continue to address the root causes of insurgency," he said.
In this regard, Barbers proposed the conduct of a dialogue with the would-be rebel returnees to let them have a say in crafting their own future as part of normal society.
"Moving forward, lets sit down with them and start considering their worthy suggestions in improving governance and helping the national government strategize its moves toward ending the social ills like poverty, corruption, and lack of opportunity," he said.
The impending proclamation will also reportedly cover separatist rebels from the south like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Ranking congressmen have expressed their backing of the Marcos administration's impending grant of amnesty to rebel fighters--including members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)--with some solons saying that it could end insurgency as we know it.
Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop, and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan all found wisdom in President Marcos' offer of amnesty.
"That's a manifestation of this administration's thrust of unity, as espoused by Bongbong Marcos during the 2022 campaign season," said Barbers, chairman of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
"Granting amnesty to rebels is a clear indication of President Marcos' desire to achieve peace in the country, since peace is a requisite for development. Hopefully the rebels will accept this as a step toward ending the senseless killings and fighting among Filipinos, thus ending the six decades-long insurgency," he added.
Rodriguez confidently said, "This will finally end the decades-long rebellion/ insurrection of the CCP-NPA in our country. These rebel returnees should be given housing, work/ livelihood and some capital to ensure they will be soon be properly integrated in our society."
"I fully support this proclamation from PBBM (President Marcos)," stressed Rodriguez, chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.
Another House of Representatives official, Chairman Acop of the Committee on Transportation, said the offer of amnesty in line with Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution, which provides that the President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of Congress.
"I fully support the President’s move to issue a proclamation granting amnesty since reconciliation efforts contribute to preventing the recurrence of conflict towards building a more peaceful, resilient and prosperous society," he said.
"We have learned that reconciliation--while difficult and complex--is a process through which our society can move forward from a divided past to a shared future as Filipinos," noted Acop, also a former police brigadier general.
Barbers, Rodriguez, and Acop are all members of the House majority.
For his part, Libanan, the leader of the House minority bloc, called the amnesty offer "a window for reconcillation".
"It will be a window for reconcillation however, our government shall continue to address the root causes of insurgency," he said.
In this regard, Barbers proposed the conduct of a dialogue with the would-be rebel returnees to let them have a say in crafting their own future as part of normal society.
"Moving forward, lets sit down with them and start considering their worthy suggestions in improving governance and helping the national government strategize its moves toward ending the social ills like poverty, corruption, and lack of opportunity," he said.
The impending proclamation will also reportedly cover separatist rebels from the south like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/19/palace-amnesty-offer-to-rebels-get-house-leaders-support
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