EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 350 - PROVIDING GUIDELINES IN THE PROCESSING OF AMNESTY MANIFESTATION FORMS OF REBEL RETURNEES

WHEREAS, the period within which to file application for amnesty in accordance with Proclamation No. 80, dated February 28, 1987, as amended by Proclamation No. 138, dated August 11, 1987, expired on February 29, 1988;

WHEREAS, reports from military authorities and field units of the Department of Social Welfare indicate that a great number of persons have voluntarily returned to the fold of the law after the February 29, 1988 deadline, and have manifested their desire to avail of the benefits of amnesty when the same becomes a reality under the Constitution;

WHEREAS, the grant of amnesty is a key feature of the National Reconciliation and Development Program constituted in Executive Order No. 103, dated December 24, 1986; and 

WHEREAS, the return to the fold of the law of former rebels and persons disenchanted with authoritarian rule and to resume community life will be enhanced by keeping an accurate census of their numbers which will facilitate meaningful dialogue between them and government representatives;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the laws, do hereby prescribe the following guidelines governing the processing of manifestations of desire for amnesty pending the issuance of an amnesty proclamation that will become a law only upon concurrence of the Congress:

Section 1. Who may file the manifestations in favor of amnesty. — Any person who has returned of his own free will to the fold of the law after February 29, 1988 and has not been in the custody of, or charged by, or undergoing investigations by, the authorities of the government as of the date of this Executive Order, may express his desire for amnesty for any of the crimes or offenses enumerated in Sec. 2 hereof, which he may have committed in furtherance of his political belief and not from purely personal motives.

Sec. 2. Crimes and offenses covered. — Only the following crimes and offenses are covered by the manifestation prescribed herein: treason; conspiracy or proposal to commit 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 assaults; indirect assaults; resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or the agents of such person; subversion; and illegal possession of firearms and/or explosives.

Sec. 3. Where manifestations may be filed. —

(a) Manifestations of desire for amnesty may be received by or filed with any military unit/office or with the Bayanihan Center (BC) organized in the province or city/ municipality or with the Office of the Provincial Governor/ City or Municipal Mayor (Provincial/City/Municipal Peace and Order Council).  

(b) The military unit/BC/Office of the Provincial/ City/Municipal Peace and Order Council shall make available without cost the manifestation for amnesty (Annex 1) and pledge of allegiance (Annex 2) forms to the person desiring to sign the manifestation favoring amnesty and personally appearing within their respective jurisdiction. All ID pictures required to be affixed to the manifestation and pledge of allegiance forms shall also be without charge to the declarant.

(c) After initial processing, the military unit/BC/ Office of the Provincial/City/Municipality Peace and Order Council shall with dispatch forward the accomplished manifestation and pledge of allegiance forms and allied papers to the Provincial Commander (PC) concerned for record verification. After completion of the record verification, the PC shall without delay forward the manifestation and pledge of allegiance and all allied papers to the Reconciliation Processing Committee as organized in Sec. 4 thereof.

Sec. 4. Reconciliation Processing Committee. — (a) There is hereby organized in each province and city a Reconciliation Processing Committee (RPC) to be composed of the following:

Provincial Governor/City Mayor   — Chairman
The Provincial/City Fiscal   — Member
The Provincial Commander (PC) concerned — Member
The representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) designated by the Provincial/City IBP Chapter   — Member