SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV is not the only official in the government whose amnesty application may be reviewed if the Congress will allow the implementation of President Rodrigo Duterte's proclamation revoking the amnesty granted to the opposition senator, a lawmaker warned on Wednesday, September 5.
"Hindi po nag-iisa si Senator Trillanes sa mga taong nanganganib ma-review ang amnesty kapag pinayagan natin ang pag-implement ng Proclamation No. 572," Quezon City Rep. Kit Belmonte said in a privilege speech during the plenary session at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Belmonte said there were 19 officers and 20 enlisted personnel whose applications for amnesty were approved by the Department of National Defense in the same way Trillanes' application was approved.
In total, there were 192 personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who were granted amnesty, he said.
Belmonte, who previously stood as the Magdalo soldiers' legal counsel, was also among those granted amnesty in 2011, under the tenure of then President Benigno Aquino III.
He was prosecuted over his alleged involvement in the destabilization plot against the Arroyo government.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, former Customs Chief and now Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Nicanor Faeldon and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Danilo Lim were also among those who benefitted from Aquino's amnesty proclamation.
Belmonte noted that although National Food Authority chairman Jason Aquino refused amnesty he had also benefited from the proclamation of Aquino by virtue of the dismissal of all cases.
Belmonte fears that the amnesty given to the above-mentioned will also be revoked if the administration so wishes.
“So pag napuno na ang powers that be, hindi lang sa katulad ni Senator Trillanes na maingay na oposisyon kundi pati rin sa mga hindi maka-harang sa tuluy-tuloy na drug smuggling sa customs, sa sloppy disaster response, sa patuloy na pagtindi n traffic, sa palyadong airport, sa rampant inflation o sa crisis sa bigas pwede na rin gamitin ang doctrine na yan para ipakulong sila,” said Belmonte.
During his speech, Belmonte also lashed out against Solicitor General Jose Calida for his participation in the issuance of the proclamation which he likened to the quo warranto petition filed against ousted chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
“Mr. Calida, you did a great job silencing another irritant of this administration,” said Belmonte.
“It seems that Senator Trillanes’ amnesty revocation is another application of the same theory. No less than the AFP spokesperson has publicly admitted that your actions led to the issuance of a certification that there was no available copy of Senator Trillanes’ application for amnesty, hence he did not file an application,” said Belmonte.
He continued: “And that incomplete ang requirements kasi walang admission of guilt, so therefore, void ab initio ang amnesty and everything reverts back to the situation before the amnesty proclamation. Di ba ito rin ang teorya sa pagtanggal kay Chief Justice Sereno?”
Belmonte asserted that Proclamation No. 572 of President Duterte is a tool of political persecution and has no basis in fact or in law. (SunStar Philippines)