• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Ninety-three more former New People’s Army rebels from central and southern Negros have applied for amnesty.
They were escorted by the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) and 303rd Infantry Brigade in filing their application before the Local Amnesty Board in Bacolod City on Wednesday (July 10).
This brings to 176 the number of former rebels in Negros Occidental, who have applied for government amnesty from July 8 to 10.
“The communist-terrorist group is close to collapsing. I suggest that the remaining active members of CPP-NPA-NDF give up the armed struggle and apply for the amnesty program,” Lt. Col. Ziegfred Tayaban, commanding officer of 94IB, said in a statement.
On Nov. 22, 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Proclamations 403, 404, 405 and 406 granting amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), respectively.
The application period for amnesty of the members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB, MILF and MNLF will be up to March 4, 2026 while the application period for the former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF will end on March 13, 2026.
As provided in Article VII, Section 19 of the 1987 Constitution, the President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of Congress.
The National Amnesty Commission is looking forward to process at least 20,000 amnesty applications of former rebels with the creation of more local amnesty boards. | GB
