GMA using amnesty program as ‘milking cow’ – Ka Roger

Communist rebels accused President Arroyo yesterday of pushing Congress to approve an amnesty program so she could get P500 million in funds.

Gregorio Rosal, Communist Party of the Philippines spokesman, said Mrs. Arroyo’s amnesty proclamation is another “milking cow” of Malacañang.

“This amnesty proclamation gimmick will only provide (Mrs.) Arroyo and her officials with another opportunity to line their pockets,” he said in a statement.

Rosal said the P500 million is “only the initial tab” for an P8-billion total amnesty fund being eyed by the administration from Congress.

“(They will) indulge in more thievery and bribery binges this Christmas season,” he said.

Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor, House of Representatives committee on justice chairman, had said the Amnesty Bill seeks to grant an estimated P200,000 to P400,000 for every rebel that surrenders.

“The security and defense officials of Malacañang and top AFP echelon will be the foremost beneficiaries of this amnesty proclamation, as they will be the ones managing and disbursing the funds,” he said.

Rosal said past amnesty programs of the government have all been ridden with corruption, including the “Balik-Baril” and “Rebel Returnee” programs.

“The great majority – at least 90 percent – of supposed ‘rebel returnees’ have been fakes, and the funds supposedly given to them simply ended up in the pockets of those who made the fabrications and facilitated the release of the funds,” he said.

Rosal said Malacañang’s amnesty program will only worsen purported abuses by the military in the countryside. – Reinir Padua