Editorial: Amnesty and reconciliation

Thursday, October 28, 2010

THERE was much hullabaloo about the presidential move to extend amnesty to the military group involved in the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.

The case has dragged on for about seven years now. But in that length of time, one of the accused was elected by the people as member of the Senate.

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This action of the nation’s voters can be interpreted as exculpating the “mutineers” from the criminal violence they committed against our duly constituted government.

The people, by their action, indicated that they believe the “mutineers” possessed a valid cause to justify their action, and should thus be granted freedom after years of confinement.

A Regional Trial Court (Branch 148) in Makati has granted the motion to defer the promulgation supposedly as a matter of courtesy to Congress and pending its study of
the proposed amnesty that the President is extending to the mutineers.

The chance of political reconciliation would then put an end to a divisive incident in our past.

The court reset the promulgation of the case to mid-December this year, time enough for Congress to decide on the presidential proclamation.

There is something in President Noynoy Aquino’s pronouncement in Hanoi the other day
that he will initiate better days for Filipinos in the coming days of this
administration.

This means that he would like continue with his forceful management of the republic. One essence of this is unity among this people.

He wants the average citizen under his watch to be at peace, united and living under a momentum of change and economic growth.

Recently, the Philippines ranked 134th of 178 countries on the matter of corruption.

It represented a slight improvement in its 139th status last year, meaning the country already achieved a measure of success in the first few months of the P-Noy administration.

This brought about the hope that with the collective effort of the citizenry, the hoped for progress and development will be realized.

Congress should take note then of the leniency of the judiciary on President Aquino’s reconciliatory move.