Speaker vows speedy resolution on amnesty

WHILE the House is yet to resume session, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte promises that the amnesty grant to rebel soldiers would, like in the Senate, be acted on immediately.

"Now that President Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III has actually done it and the Senate committee has approved it in one seating, I think it behooves us as well to act with dispatch on the matter," he said.

With only one dissenting vote, senators approved in the committee level the proposed amnesty for rebel soldiers involved in the Oakwood, Manila Peninsula, and Marine stand-off incidents.

The House justice committee, meanwhile, is set to hear Concurrent Resolution 7 concurring with Aquino's Proclamation 50 on November 10 at 9:30 a.m.

"It's very important because the President wanted to have a clean slate there and that is something we should put closure on, something that I myself am in favor for," the Speaker said.

While he cannot guarantee that it would be easy to get consensus from members of the House, he cited that the 153 solon-signatories who signified support for the House resolution already shows that a concurrent resolution will be reached.

As per the proposal of Brigadier General Danilo Lim, Belmonte said it is not up to the House to make amendments, specifically on the reinstatement of concerned soldiers.

"Ours is simply a yes or no, think do we agree or don't we agree and if there is anything else to be done, it's an executive thing after all with the consent of Congress," he added.

In related development, a Makati City court granted the appeal of Trillanes and the other Magdalo officers for a deferment of Wednesday's hearing on the rebellion cases against them.

Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 suspended the trial attended by defense lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr.

The deferment was ordered following the request of Trillanes and his colleagues pending the outcome of the ongoing proceedings in Congress relative to the grant of amnesty.

No member of the prosecution panel was present during the hearing. (Kathrina Alvarez/JCV/Sunnex)