President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN))




House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan says President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s plan to grant amnesty to individuals who may have violated existing laws in pursuit of their political beliefs will help heal the country. “Forgiveness is necessary in conflict resolution. We are in full favor of the President’s amnesty plan. It is an act of grace that will help heal the nation,” Libanan said in a statement Wednesday, July 26. “Many of the country’s past presidents offered amnesty to foster peace, reconciliation and development while they were in office,” noted the 4Ps Party-list representative in the current 19th Congress. A lawyer by profession, Libanan served as chairman of the House Committee on Justice during his previous tenure as Eastern Samar lone congressional district. In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24, Marcos had asked Congress to support his plan to issue “a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees” to ease their reintegration into society. Under Article VII, Section 19 of the 1987 Constitution, a presidential amnesty proclamation would take effect only upon the concurrence of a majority of all the members of Congress. Amnesty is granted usually for past political offenses against the state, such as treason, sedition, or rebellion. Past presidents had offered amnesty to individual members of dissident groups such as the National Democratic Front, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas. Amnesties had also been previously extended to former members of the armed forces and the police who were involved in coup plots, mutinies, and other failed attempts to overthrow the government. Past amnesties expressly excluded from coverage certain offenses committed for personal ends, such as rape, as well as crimes against humanity such as acts of torture, massacre, and terrorism. In previous amnesties, the offenses of the grantees were forgiven, and their civil and political rights were restored. They also enjoyed access to reintegration benefits. Covered individuals in the past usually had a window of around 90 days within which they had to submit applications for amnesty following the effectivity of a proclamation.