61 ex-NPA rebels in Eastern Visayas seek government’s amnesty program

INQUIRER FILES

TACLOBAN CITY — At least 61 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas have applied for the government’s amnesty program to end their armed struggles and be reintegrated back into society.

However, the processing of their applications remains on hold due to the lack of a designated member from the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the local amnesty board.

Alma Gabin, president of the Eastern Visayas Peace Builders and Development Federation Inc., said that while the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) began accepting applications in December 2024, applicants have yet to be entertained locally.

Gabin’s group has more than 23,000 members who are either former rebel members or sympathizers across the region.

“The local amnesty board is not yet active because the PNP has not designated a member (yet). Majority of the applicants seek amnesty to avoid imprisonment while others aim to clear their records to secure jobs without prejudice,” said Gabin in an online interview on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Gabin, who has yet to process her own application for amnesty, used to serve as the deputy secretary for education of the Communist Party of the Philippines in the region.

She was arrested in Tolosa town, Leyte, together with her husband, in 2020.

Both were charged with frustrated murder and murder but were provisionally dismissed by the courts in April 2021 due to a lack of witnesses on the part of the government.

Gabin, who is under the care of the military, said pending cases are a significant barrier for former rebels striving to live independently.

“For those who have surrendered and the active NPA members considering reintegration, their pending cases remain a hindrance,” she added.

Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, echoed Gabin’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the government’s amnesty program in reintegrating former rebels into society.

“We are currently working with our Friends Rescued (FRs) to avail themselves of the amnesty program. Our units are preparing and consolidating the required documents. This program is a significant step in helping them start anew with their families,” Vestuir said in a separate online interview on Thursday.

The amnesty program, according to Vestuir, serves as a means to encourage members of the NPA to abandon their armed struggle, knowing they will be pardoned with all of their criminal cases dismissed.

“We assure them they will not be imprisoned, tortured, or harmed. All they need to do is surrender and avail themselves of the program,” he said.

The amnesty initiative is backed by Proclamations 403, 404, 405, and 406 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Nov. 22, 2024.

These proclamations grant amnesty to individuals who committed crimes in pursuit of political beliefs, whether under the Revised Penal Code or special penal laws.

Beneficiaries include former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

“This program is a step toward ending insurgency as it provides assurance to those who surrender that they will be treated justly and given the opportunity to reintegrate into society,” Vestuir said.

The NAC and other stakeholders in Eastern Visayas are optimistic that activating the local amnesty board will expedite the resolution of applications and encourage more individuals to embrace peace and end their armed struggles.