|
PRESIDENT Arroyo said on Tuesday that she has allotted
an initial P500 million for a national amnesty program
for rebels being finalized by the government, in
consultation with local and religious leaders and
lawmakers.
The
President made the announcement at the start of the
meeting of the National Security Cluster, which
discussed the proposed amnesty proclamation that would
later be sent to Congress for concurrence.
“Our
peace framework includes amnesty and livelihood for
rebels who wish to return to the fold of the law. It
will have an initial funding of half a billion pesos to
firmly implant lasting peace and security in the region,
led by local and religious leaders, and the entire
national government,” she said.
The
President said that peace and stability are important
factors in generating more investments that would create
more jobs.
Chief
Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza told reporters after the
meeting that the initial P500-million fund will be for
the rebel returnees’ social integration program to help
them get back on their feet and to compensate them for
the firearms that they would be turning over once they
are granted amnesty.
Dureza
said that the proposed amnesty program, which is hoped
to be in place before December, would cover the
Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s
Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and their
“derivatives” who have committed crimes in pursuit of
their political beliefs.
“Any
crime of rebellion or other crimes related to that . . .
in pursuit of political beliefs, anything within that
purview will be covered,” he said.
Dureza
said that among the provisions of the proposal that is
still under deliberation is the amnesty period, or the
time when applications would be accepted.
“What is
very certain is that the President is looking very
seriously at a presidential proclamation to grant
amnesty,” Dureza said.
He said
that once in place, amnesty applications will be
processed by the local peace and order councils.
National
Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said in another
interview that it is premature to conclude that the
communist movement would soon fall apart with the recent
arrest of CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison in the
Netherlands.
“It’s
too early to say that. We have seen the resiliency of
the CPP-NPA, so we should not be too rushed in saying
that because Joma Sison is arrested . . . the movement
will collapse,” Gonzales said.
He also
said that party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna
“can be an ideal leader of a new communist party in the
Philippines that will adhere to the democratic process”
because of his experience as a lawmaker.
“If the
CPP will decide to reinvent itself, just like the other
political parties in other parts of the world where
communist political parties decided to join the
democratic mainstream, I think that Congressman Satur is
an ideal candidate to lead that political party,”
Gonzales said.
The
Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon
Jr., said he fully supports an amnesty program.
The next
Peace and Security Assembly, last held in Bohol, will be
in Butuan City possibly this month, Dureza said. |
