Ex-communist rebels top amnesty seekers
KORONADAL CITY—Former communist rebels turned in the most number of applications for amnesty, official records show.
At the close of filing on March 13, the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) counted a total of 13,633 applicants who used to belong to the ranks of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA). They accounted for 85 percent of total amnesty applicants.
Some 1,240 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and 646 members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) also sought amnesty.
Another 484 were submitted by former members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB), now known as “Kapatiran.”
The filing of amnesty applications for former members of RPM-P/RPA-ABB, MILF and MNLF ended on March 4.
Of the total 16,003 amnesty applications, 6,330 or about 40 percent are from Mindanao, 5,868 from Luzon, and 3,805 from the Visayas.
The NAC had opened 20 local amnesty boards throughout the country to facilitate the reception of applications.
Major milestones
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. described the amnesty application turnout as another “major milestone under the comprehensive Philippine peace process.”
In a statement, Galvez said the high turnout of amnesty applicants is “a testament to their determination to start a new chapter in their lives, as well as show their full trust and confidence in the national government.”
“This milestone reflects the desire of these former combatants to turn away from decades of armed struggle, embrace peace, and rebuild their lives,” Galvez explained.
He stressed that the amnesty program is a cornerstone of President Marcos’ peace agenda, which aims to complement all signed peace agreements and the ongoing normalization and transformation programs, particularly in Mindanao.
However, the normalization process for the 40,000-strong MILF suffered a setback after the group suspended the last phase of its decommissioning involving 14,000 combatants and 2,450 weapons.
