OPPOSITION lawmakers assailed the revocation of the proclamation granting amnesty to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the proclamation that granted Trillanes’ amnesty does not provide for any revocation clause.
“Proclamation No. 75 dated 24 November 2010 issued by President Benigno Aquino III which was concurred in by the Congress under Concurrent Resolution No. 4 dated 13 and 14 December 2010 does not provide for any revocation clause.”
“Consequently, the reported revocation by President Rodrigo Duterte of the amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes has no legal and factual basis,” said Lagman.
Senator Francis Pangilinan called the move an "illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power" while Senator Risa Hontiveros said it is "unconstitutional."
"Instead of addressing the rice crisis now engulfing the nation, this government is more concerned with silencing its critics using unlawful methods...We stand by Sen. Trillanes, and will use all legal means to fight this illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power," Pangilinan said.
"The revocation of the amnesty granted to Senator Antonio Trillanes is unconstitutional, lacking concurrence from the legislature...This signals the growing crackdown on the political opposition and the President's further slide into full authoritarian rule," Hontiveros, for her part, said.
Lagman said that since a presidential declaration of amnesty needs the concurrence of the Congress pursuant to Section 19 of Article VII of the Constitution, any revocation, if allowable, also needs the same congressional concurrence.
Lagman stressed that an amnesty, unlike a presidential conditional pardon is final absolute, and irrevocable.
“Alleged present transgressions of a grantee are immaterial and do not militate against the grant of amnesty,” he ended.
“It’s highly preposterous and clearly a political vendetta against a very vocal critic of President Duterte,” said Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin.
“It’s a legal stretch to justify this presidential revocation of an amnesty given no less by Congress. The grounds cited by the proclamation like the non-application by Senator Trillanes of an amnesty is too flimsy and won’t hold ground as former President Aquino with the concurrence of Congress made the amnesty full and complete,” he added.
Members of the Makabayan bloc also criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation.
“The Makabayan bloc today denounced the intensifying political persecution against opposition and critics of the Duterte administration as Malacanang revoked the amnesty proclamation given to Sen. Antonio Trillanes."
“We view this as a desperate but treacherous attack of a regime that is under siege by public criticism and broadening social dissent due to rising inflation, worsening poverty and human rights violations,” said the militant group.
The Makabayan bloc said the decision of the President showed that he cannot be trusted to respect the peace process with the rebels.
The Makabayan Bloc is composed of Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio and Rep. France Castro, KABATAAN Party-List Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas and Rep. Emmi De Jesus, and Anakpawis Party-List Rep. Ariel Casilao. (SunStar Philippines)