MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s revocation of the amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV can be dangerous in administration’s bid to attain peace in Mindanao, according to Franklin Drilon.
The Senate minority leader said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front might become hesitant to talk peace with the government, especially since amnesty is one of the documents that Malacañang will offer to them.
Amnesty is expected to be part of the talks with the MILF after Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which is up for a plebiscite in January, Drilon added.
“Now that an amnesty given to certain person could be revoked by a succeeding president, how can we say there will be peace in Mindanao?” Drilon said in a radio interview.
Duterte’s Proclamation 572 that declared Trillanes’ amnesty – granted by then President Benigno Aquino III seven years ago – as void is “disturbing” and causes instability in the country, stressed the senator from Iloilo City.
“I believe President Duterte was given or relied on wrong advice that Trillanes’ amnesty can be revoked just because his amnesty application papers are missing,” Drilon said.
“It is the duty of government personnel to keep documents secured and their loss would open them up to charges of infidelity in the custody of government documents,” he added.
Duterte’s proclamation stated that the Trillanes’ amnesty was “void ab initio (from the start)” because the senator did not comply with the “minimum requirements to qualify under the amnesty program.”
The President claimed that Trillanes did not file an Official Amnesty Application Form and has never expressed guilt for the crimes he committed during two mutinies./PN
