President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday signed Proclamation No. 75 granting amnesty to
active and former officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
the Philippine National Police (PNP) and their supporters involved in the three attempts to
overthrow his predecessor.
The new amnesty proclamation takes effect upon the concurrence of the majority of all members
of Congress. It also supersedes Proclamation No. 50, which was issued on October 11, 2010.
Proclamation No. 75 covers crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of
War and other laws in connection with the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the February 2006 Marine
stand-off and the November 2007 Peninsula Manila hotel incident.
The amnesty, however, does not cover “rape, acts of torture, crimes against chastity, and other
crimes committed for personal ends.”
Personnel of the AFP and the PNP and their supporters may apply for the amnesty with the
Department of National Defense (DND) within 90 days after the publication of the proclamation in
newspapers of general circulation.
Enlisted personnel of the AFP with the rank of technical sergeant and below and PNP personnel
with the rank of senior police officer 3 (SP03) and below whose amnesty application will be
approved are entitled to reinstatement or reintegration.
Under the proclamation, however, they are “not entitled to back pay during the time they have
been discharged or suspended from the service or unable to perform their military or police
duties.”
Master sergeants and all commissioned officers of the AFP and all PNP officers with the rank of
SP04 and above are not entitled to reinstatement or reintegration and back pay.
All AFP and PNP personnel who will be granted amnesty but will not be reinstated or reintegrated
will be entitled to retirement and separation benefits if they qualify under existing laws and
regulations at the time of their separation, unless such benefits are forfeited for reasons other
than acts covered by the proclamation.
The new amnesty proclamation includes revisions based on input from legislators involved in
congressional hearings on Proclamation No. 50. (PCOO)
