CBCP seeks mercy for ‘common criminals’

AFTER Malacañang’s grant of amnesty to rebel soldiers linked to past military uprisings, the Catholic Church is now asking President Benigno Aquino 3rd to give similar attention to “common prisoners” languishing in jail.
An official of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Thursday said that common prisoners are even more deserving of the amnesty grant than the mutineers from the Magdalo group of rebel officers and men, who tried but failed to topple then President Gloria Arroyo in 2003, 2006 and 2007.

“I pray that amnesty and executive clemency, the power of the President, will be used particularly [in favor of] a lot of so-called common criminals who have languished and are still languishing in jail. There are many of them,” according to Rudy Diamante, the executive secretary of ECPPC-CBCP.

He pointed out that President Aquino should not only focus on the opponents of former President Arroyo, the Magdalo soldiers, but also give a chance to other prisoners.

Diamante said that the President should do away with the Arroyo administration pardoning high-profile offenders such as convicted rapist and former Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, convicted killer Claudio Teehankee Jr. and convicted plunderer and also former President Joseph Estrada.

“If he [Mr. Aquino] wants change and he talks of change, he should change the system. It will have to start [with his exercising] that kind of privilege [grant of amnesty],” he added.

“It’s about time that he gave attention to those who committed so-called common crimes,” the CBCP official said.

Diamante noted that about 96,000 inmates across the country are behind bars, with “hundreds” already recommended by the Board of Pardons and Parole for amnesty.

On Monday, the President signed Proclamation 50 granting amnesty to soldiers involved in the three revolts against the Arroyo administration.

Included in the amnesty grant were Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th and more than 300 other military officers and men involved in the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the February 2006 Marine standoff and the November 2007 Manila Peninsula takeover.

Diamante was the same official who recently said that the Catholic Church strongly opposes revival of death penalty in the Philippines.
Authorities had cited recent heinous crimes in the country.

The Senate might propose amendments to the amnesty proclamation, depending on results of a public hearing on the issue, Sen. Franklin Drilon said also on Thursday.

At the same time, he appealed to the judge hearing the case against Trillanes and other Magdalo members involved in the Oakwood mutiny to defer promulgation of his decision while Congress deliberates on the Proclamation 50.

Drilon had opposed immediate referral of a concurring resolution to the plenary session, saying that he had many questions to ask.
He said that if the Senate believes that the accused should also be reinstated, then the amnesty proclamation would be returned to Malacañang for amendments

Drilon also wanted to know the actual number of officers, personnel and civilian supporters covered by the amnesty grant.
He said that while Congress tackles the amnesty proclamation, Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Regional Trial Court of Makati City should not promulgate his decision on the Magdalo case.

Pimentel is scheduled to hand down his verdict on October 28.

The House and the Senate have not conducted public hearings on the proposed amnesty grant to the rebel soldiers.

Congress is on recess, and any approval of the concurrent resolution concurring with the amnesty grant can be passed at the earliest on November 8, when Congress resumes its session.

In the wake of Proclamation 50, the rights group Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) also on Thursday urged the President to also grant amnesty to all 378 political prisoners in the country.

“While we welcome the intent for the freedom of the rebel soldiers, we are adamant in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. They do not need amnesty, since almost all of them were charged with trumped-up and fabricated common crimes while they were persecuted for their principled opposition to various anti-people policies. They are demanding their freedom,” Fr. Dionito Cabillas, Selda secretary general, said. –Jomar Canlas Reporter with reports from Efren L. Danao and Sammy Martin, Manila Times