896.00/9–746: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Philippines (McNutt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 6—11:40 p.m.]
313. Roxas expects to issue general amnesty within 48 hours for all guerrillas and others in resistance movement who committed acts of violence against persons and property in furtherance of resistance movement. AFWESPAC had recommended such. Roxas will establish three guerrilla amnesty commissions to sift cases and determine which offenses were in furtherance of resistance movement. Since concurrence of Congress is required by Philippine Constitution for general amnesty, Roxas will send proclamation to Congress with request for concurrence.77 He will also recommend that act of concurrence specify that acts of violence punishable under penal code but committed in furtherance of resistance movement shall be exonerate. Proof that such acts were committed in furtherance of resistance, established either in court or before an amnesty commission, will be grounds for dismissal of case and inclusion under amnesty. More than 1,000 cases pending and disposed of, many with convictions, will be affected. Many other cases now in process of preparation.
- The proclamation was issued on September 7 and concurred in by the Philippine Congress on September 18. In despatch 214, October 7, from Manila, the opinion was expressed that “It is logical to assume that amnesty will be a favorable influence upon President Roxas’ drive for the restoration of law and order in addition to providing just treatment for the guerrillas who took part in the resistance movement.” (896.00/10–746)↩