Abolition of the National Amnesty Commission

March 22, 2005

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 415

PROVIDING FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE NATIONAL AMNESTY COMMISSION

WHEREAS, the National Amnesty Commission ("NAC"), created under Proclamation No. 347, dated 25 March 1994, to receive and process applications for amnesty of former rebels and determine whether the applicants are entitled to amnesty under said Proclamation, and has to date received almost 25,000 amnesty applications and granted amnesty to more than 20,000 former rebels;

WHEREAS, the period within which to file applications for amnesty before the NAC, as last provided by Proclamation No. 21 dated 23 September 1998 and Proclamation No. 390 dated 29 September 2000, expired last 24 March 2000 and 07 October 2001, respectively;

WHEREAS, the NAC has since completed processing the foregoing amnesty applications and determined the entitlement to amnesty of the applicants therein under the respective amnesty laws;

WHEREAS, the NAC has formalized agreements with the Department of Interior and Local Government, as well as with several local government units across the country, to secure greater and continuing access to livelihood, education and health programs for amnesty grantees;

WHEREAS, Section 4 of Proclamation No. 347 provides that the term of the commission shall expire upon the completion of its assigned tasks as may be determined by the President.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The term of the NAC, created under Proclamation No. 347 is hereby deemed expired in view of the completion of its assigned tasks as provided by Section 4 thereof, and the NAC is hereby abolished. The NAC shall thereby wind-up its operations within sixty (60) days from the issuance of this Executive Order. All employees of the NAC shall thereby be entitled to separation pay in accordance with Executive Order No. 366 (s. 2004) and related laws, in addition to all other gratuities and benefits that they may be entitled to under the law.

SECTION 2. All assets, liabilities, choses in action, equipment, facilities, funds, records and other properties of the NAC are hereby transferred to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process ("OPAPP"). The residual rights, powers and authority of the NAC, including those provided for under Proclamation No. 426 (s. 2000), are likewise transferred to the OPAPP. The OPAPP shall have the power to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper implementation of said Proclamation.

SECTION 3. This Order shall take effect immediately upon approval.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand Five.