GRANTING AMNESTY TO ALL FILIPINO MUSLIMS WHO HAVE COMMITTED ACTS PENALIZED UNDER EXISTING PENAL LAWS IN FURTHERANCE OF THEIR RESISTANCE TO THE DULY CONSTITUTED AUTHORITIES OF TH…

WHEREAS, it is known that many of our Muslim brothers have
joined the rebellion or secessionist movement engaged in subversion or
became members of rebel groups, or other similar elements because of a
misunderstanding of the objectives of the New Society and for grievances
whether valid or otherwise or of misguided idealism or of threats,
intimidation coercion and physical harassment;

WHEREAS, surveys and assessments made by authorities confirm
this to be true;

WHEREAS, the Government believes that to grant full and
complete amnesty to these Muslim brothers, who have taken up arms
against the Republic of the Philippines or its duly constituted
authorities, but who now lay down their arms and assume the peaceful
role of citizenship to participate in nation-building take the oath of
loyalty to the Republic of the Philippines and oppose the intervention
of any foreign power in the internal problems of the Philippines, will
greatly contribute to the restoration of peace and order in Mindanao and
Sulu and will also enhance the development of the region and ultimately
contribute to the promotion of the general welfare and well-being of
the entire nation;

WHEREAS, to achieve such a desirable result without
bloodshed and unnecessary waste of time and effort, it is necessary,
just and wise, for the government to forgive and forego the prosecution
of said misguided Muslim Filipinos for all crimes committed by them
against the duly constituted authorities in pursuance of such rebellion
or secession.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 14, Article
IX of the Constitution, do hereby declare and proclaim full and
complete amnesty in favor of all Filipino Muslims who have committed any
such acts of rebellion, secession, subversion or treason, penalized
under existing laws in the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga
del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Palawan and
the Cities of Cotabato, General Santos Iligan, Marawi, Zamboanga,
Pagadian, Basilan, Dipolog and Dapitan, in furtherance of their
resistance against the duly constituted authorities of the Republic of
the Philippines before the issuance of this Decree and who shall lay
their arms and submit themselves to the Special Amnesty Commission
within 60 days from the promulgation of this Decree.

It is further decreed that in order to determine who among those
against whom charges have been filed before the courts of the
Philippines or against whom charges may be filed in the future, come
within the terms of this amnesty, the Special Amnesty Commission,
composed of five (5) members is hereby created pursuant to my
pronouncement during the Independence Day and whose members I shall
appoint, shall examine the facts and circumstances surrounding each
case, and if necessary, conduct summary hearings of witnesses for the
complainant and accused. The Commission shall investigate each case and
upon finding that it falls within the terms of this Decree, the
Commission shall so declare and recommend to the President of the
Philippines that amnesty be immediately granted such accused. The
accused shall forthwith be released or discharged.

It is finally
decreed that cases now pending before fiscals, civil courts and military
tribunals against said persons granted amnesty for any crime
contemplated in this decree shall be dismissed motu propio by the
respective fiscals, civil courts, military courts and/or tribunals upon
petition by the prosecution or the accused after the grant of the
amnesty by me as herein decreed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 28th day of June, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.