Proclamation No. 80




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ Proclamation No. 80, February 28, 1987 ] GRANTING AMNESTY IN FAVOR OF ALL PERSONS WHO, IN THE FURTHERANCE OF THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS, MAY HAVE COMMITTED ACTS PENALIZED BY EXISTING LAWS WHEREAS, certain persons or group/s of persons continue to oppose the government; WHEREAS, these persons may have committed an act or acts in violation of existing laws in furtherance of their political beliefs; WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the nation to forgive these individuals and forego their prosecution in order that all may be reunited and peace and order established in our land, and so that they can contribute their energy and talents to the achievement of political and social reforms within the framework of the laws and democracy; WHEREAS, the unity of the Filipino people is necessary so that the nation can recover from the ravages of dictatorships; NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 6, Art. XVIII, of the 1987 Constitution, do hereby declare and proclaim full and complete amnesty in favor of all persons who have or may have committed any act penalized under existing laws in furtherance of their political beliefs and who, not being in the custody of, or charged by, undergoing investigation by, the authorities of the present administration, as of the date, the 28th of February 1987, and for six months thereafter, return their own free will to the fold of the law for the following crimes: treason; conspiracy or proposal to commit the crime of treason; misprision of treason; espionage; rebellion or insurrection; conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion or insurrection; inciting to rebellion or insurrection; sedition; conspiracy to commit sedition; inciting to sedition; illegal assemblies; illegal associations; direct assault; indirect assault; resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or agents of such person or persons; subversion; and illegal possession of firearms and explosives. This shall not, however, apply to crimes or acts committed from purely personal motives or outside of the foregoing enumerations. It is further declared that in order to determine those persons who may come within the terms of this amnesty, an Amnesty Committee is hereby created in each province or city composed of the Provincial/City Citizens Attorney, as Chairman, and four members, namely: the AFP Judge Advocate designated by the Secretary of National Defense, the Provincial/City Secretary, an IBP representative designated by the Provincial/City IBP Chapter and the fourth to be chosen by the Chairman and the herein three named members, which shall examine the facts and circumstances surrounding each case.1aшphi1 The Committee shall decide each case within ten (10) working days from receipt of the application, and upon finding that it falls within the terms of this Proclamation, it shall so declare and the amnesty shall immediately be effective as to said person. Should the Amnesty Committee fail to make its decision within the given ten day period, such inaction shall be construed as an automatic grant of amnesty in favor of the applicant concerned. Any person who desires to avail of the amnesty provided herein may, at anytime within six (6) months from date of issuance of this Proclamation, file an application for amnesty with the Bayanihan Center organized in each province or city. The Bayanihan Center immediately forward the application to the Amnesty Committee, which shall then evaluate and pass upon the application in accordance with the Guidelines that may be issued by the National Reconciliation and Development Council to implement this Proclamation and shall make the necessary decision in each particular case. This Proclamation take effect immediately. DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven. (Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO By the President: (Sgd.) JOKER P. ARROYO Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation