Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The first batch of junior officials and enlisted personnel linked to various military mutinies in the Philippines during the previous administration of Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo was granted amnesty Thursday.
In a ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo attended by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, 95 junior officers and enlisted personnel, including Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, took their oath of allegiance to the constitution.
In his speech during the ceremony, Gazmin said that their pledge of allegiance to the constitution formally completes the process of prescribed under the presidential proclamation outlining the granting of amnesty.
"The amnesty is an earnest effort on the part of the administration to foster reconciliation and an attempt to secure a lasting and enduring peace for our country and hopefully put an end to what is now known as military adventurism," Gazmin said in his speech.
"Today we are confident that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be stronger and more responsive to the needs of our country and people," he added.
The 95 soldiers had been slapped with criminal and administrative charges for their participation in various failed power grabs during the Arroyo administration including the Oakwood mutiny in 2003, the Marine stand-off at Fort Bonifacio in 2006 and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007.
"The amnesty program is foreseen as beneficial to the government, to the military rebels and to our people. It is definitely a win-win situation for all concerned," Gazmin said.
Meanwhile, Gazmin said that those qualified under the law to be reinstated in their previous ranks will be reintegrated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
