The hearings conducted by the Tacloban local amnesty board is a big sham. The entire amnesty program of the Marcos regime is nothing but a moneymaking scheme of Marcos, the AFP and the NTF-Elcac to pocket millions of pesos by recycling “surrenderees.”
Contrary to Mayor Alfred Romualdez’ pronouncement, the hearings and Marcos’ amnesty program do not serve the purpose of attaining a just and lasting peace. On the contrary, by ignoring the root causes of the armed conflict, the Marcos regime’s amnesty program only perpetuates the system that breeds poverty and injustice.
With the exception of some who have turned traitors to the cause, most “surrenderees,” in fact, are civilians–ordinary peasants and community leaders–who were profiled, intimidated and coerced by Marcos and his armed minions, to denounce their political beliefs and give up their democratic aspirations.
Marcos’ “surrender drive” and amnesty program, thus, violates fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law, that guarantees protection of civilians amid armed conflict. Most of them were not brought to court or charged. Making them recount “personal accounts” and “renounce armed struggle” in front of police, state lawyers and government officials in exchange for “amnesty” and promises of social housing and financial aid magnify these violations.
The civil war or armed conflict in the country goes beyond individuals. One or even one hundred may have been given up by force of their individual circumstances, but the cause for freedom and democracy remains, and will continue to rouse generations to come, until these aspirations are attained.
