Draft amnesty proclamation for detained leftist rebels now with Duterte, panel member says
The Office of President Rodrigo Duterte has already received a draft amnesty proclamation for more than 400 detained alleged communist rebels, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said on Sunday.
In a statement, government peace panel member Angela Librado-Trinidad said they submitted to Duterte's office the proposed proclamation a week before the resumption of the second round of peace talks in Oslo, Norway, which started on October 6.
She said this was consistent with the government panel's commitment to immediately recommend to the President a draft of an Amnesty Proclamation, covering those listed by the National Democratic Front (NDF), the final list of which was received on September 15.
“We have in our possession a stamped receipt of our endorsement letter together with the draft proclamation. It was received by the Office of the Executive Secretary,” Librado said.
Covered by the draft proclamation are 434 detained leaders and alleged members of the NDF and its political party and army ? the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA).
The NDF earlier also included in the list 81 detained rebels who it wanted already released based on humanitarian grounds.
The draft proclamation will also include NDF consultants who were already released on bail and are now participating in the peace negotiations.
The NDF has been asking the government for the release of all the so-called political prisoners.
NDF chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison has said the amnesty and release of their detained comrades would serve as an incentive for a stable ceasefire.
The government and the NDF, which both have existing unilateral truce, have agreed to work for an interim bilateral truce. Celerina D. Monte/DMS
