Proclamation No. 51, s. 1948

MANILA BY T.!iE F:1,..fi3il3iiT Oir TI{E Fi"iILfFFI:tllJS FllclIij+T:CI; t{0, 5t A F10CL;1i.5,{TifOld 0 :'iilt'fii:;Ci Ali}l:$TY -'!TiER;iAS, the occlr-F.Etion of tha Fhllipplne s by the Japanese arned f orce s Curing the lest tqar and the or- gairizetj-on b:r then of a Eove rnnent edninistered by e itizenrs of the Fhllippines br-:-t sl:-bject to the1r diree- tion and ecntrol have^ glnn ri se to'charges of eollabo- raiJ on l';i'ih the eneay aleinst sneh cJtlzens rEho occu"pled nositj.ons in that government, es ",'ge11 as aeainst.those prJ:ro tradec ui"th the enemy; '',TH:IREI1.Sr 8$ e result of those charges, lndictmcnts have been filed ageinst a large numher of irj.lj"pino citl* u ens f or a1-1e ged treescnnble eojl,aboration trlth 'the enea:y' before the Feoplers tourt, wirich was estahlished espeei.ally to iree:' enrJ tr}' those casesi =ii:?.iiREA$, these trials have been held for fi:ore ihan two years noti b:,:.t no flna'l judgments convict-ing any one oi ihe eccuoed hatr"e been rencered I "iiERlEAS, the uprer:ie Conrt has declared thet the neTR hn-'lriinp nf F rctcifinn-in tlre cnvtr'nFtent cstablishedrlvru +rrlr u t,v h:r the enemy does not Fe,! $e const j tr-rte the eriree of treason under the lar'rs r:f ihe lhii-ippi.nes; i.-+?i-:ii:tEr15r with respeet to tliosc r':ho are at I:re sent indicted for alleged tr4Qing r-:i-th the enemy, 1t a!trears thai beeause es$de fron: th-o rean.iretreirts r:f the tirvo -E i tne ss "rtlle in tree son trials, it he s been r:eciared necessary to Frove speci"1iicel"ly iht the rneterials fn- volved i"n the trecti-n.s irret-e essenti-al- to the prosecuti-on of 'the r.rn:"- no 'i-,nal - iudsm*:irts of convieti,on-have beeiu i4s F- . .rJ entered sa far i.n such cases and, on the ecnti'aryr s€- veral verrii-cts of accu-ittel }:a.re been rend.ered and orders ol dlsmissel lssuedl t+{ilF.IA$, the majority of the Fllfpino peopl-e now reaLize that the ,a1Ieged acts attribu-ted to pol-itical coJ.leboretors €iithe" were not vol-untary on their part orr in effeet, w€ne performed by then i-n the sincere bellef that it sr-as. the.lr patrlotlc dnty tc exeeute them in the j-nterest of the safety anc '.reli-being of thej.r countryrren r.+ho were then at the nercy of the enemy: v v/MALACANAN PALACE ':'j-+ --i r "jr' t' rli ll . Date uploaded: November 25, 2010 PCDSPO Official Gazette http://www.gov.ph E'f}:JP'BASr Frith tire lapse of 'fime tne re has eome a better un<ieritandi.ng on the Fart of the fi.liF-ino people c j"e ated the aceu.sed, cc:rvincet tir.elr functions as iubiie offjcials the:f did everything in th.ej"r nolireT to nj-nimize the atroej,tjes of t!:e enefiy and to 3:re'reit bhe curr;ri fi ou.t of !:is rr-rurpose to j-Tduce or et:npbl thc rili.pino pe Fle to arm theqselves asainst tl:le ellieC ne t lons; '!'.';'::;;i:jA$, uncter the lauus oll the P}:ilip:ij-nes- and Ih doctrines laid crr,vn by o r eo'i-ll'tsu the proseeuti-on of the eases nor,'r E,enii.ing a:fl ears unjustif ied vrith regard to e1,1e geo politjcal ollaborators and fu,iile as to those charged rvith eeonofiic eollaborationl irr.riijiF.FJA$, the qrlesti-on of ccll-aboration has divided the people of the Firiii.p,";ines sj.nce liberation j-n a ffiall- ner -rhjbh threatens t?:e uni.ty of il:e nation at a tlme ryhen the pi:blie i;elfare recr:lres th#t $aid uni-ty be saf eeuerded and pre "crved; -"i'lliEil, AS, the qt"e sti'.ln of collaboratlon is essen- ti"ally polltical i.n natqre and should be settl-ed in ae- cordenee 'sith ths conscienee of the riajori"ty of the pe ople I a:l:test}' io 11 rlersons v+lro hav after iru ae useh of t:eason throrr-gh elleged collahoratlon vrlth tl:e enemy; 'ri':,IjljRll.Afi, thts pr-rhtr-ic sentj-nent does flot extend to persons "wiro rioluntaiily took up avns against the allied ii.ations or the rnerbers of tire resj-stence forees, or acted enefily: of, conniltted murdert .ysrcal injuri-es clr any other our penal- laws, for the g the eneffiY ln the -u.lar ag inst $uElpr+ssion of the resis ines I -fiAl'ni.,ti, 3OEAS, Fresident of the of the power in .qe 'rssted bY Arti- of the Constitution, do herebY a-nci complete e:::nesiY to all f..l lt: l:; llr:: ll il ii,,il, lil il, ii i, il'r ii I lil tr it,, ll' - €tst" Date uploaded: November 25, 2010 PCDSPO Official Gazette http://www.gov.ph -3 neTsons accrised of any O,ffense egainst the nntional 5"""|ty-;;t-"ts alllgedl_y eonnittea to gi.ve aid -and confort"' to the et--,em1' dir:nk_ll?rti,:i Xi;:"5rt;ti3llnu ph1,'e icaS- injurles 0T an.f o or pro,tertY, for he PurPss enemy in the .'nrar galnst th uripp?ssion oi-tf, tresj.stanee movement in the Fhillp- ptne s . f|11 eaees noljf pending befcre th.e eourts for al- Frcseer-:-t1on or the aeeused. Thls procla,ratj.r:n shall- teke f:fect uFon the con- et-ll'rence therev'iith by the Congress Ili I,T?}EISS ,r,riL4REOFr T harre he eunto se! my.haTd I end cau-seC the seal of the F.epubli of ihe Fhlllppines ,liiliii to l-re afflxed. llll Dne at the Cit;,r of l,{anile, thls 28th day of {tn i;, 115?iv- in t'n" v*ir of'Oor Lord, nineteen hirndred and i',L{.drJt ill urrf,; !/'L'! iort-r'-e:-gfrt, Lnd of the Tndepend€nce of the FhiliTlpinest i the seeond " 14 /.,, rrL By the Fresidentl -fs Acting iixecu-tive Date uploaded: November 25, 2010 PCDSPO Official Gazette http://www.gov.ph