KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 7 January) – The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) has urged former rebels to apply for amnesty at their nearest Local Amnesty Boards (LABs) before the deadline in March, offering them a chance to reintegrate into mainstream society.
President Marcos Jr. recently granted amnesty to seven individuals on December 26, following an earlier batch of nine in September 2025, bringing the total to 16 under his administration. Of these, 15 were former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP–NPA–NDF) and one from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The NAC reported 7,171 applications by the end of 2025, reflecting growing trust in the program. These include 5,755 from CPP–NPA–NDF, 928 from MILF, 396 from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and 92 from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas–Revolutionary Proletarian Army–Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB).
NAC Commissioner Jamar Kulayan encouraged more applicants, emphasizing that successful grants restore civil and political rights. LABs are available nationwide, including in Luzon (Quezon City, Baguio, La Union, Quezon, Isabela, Albay, Pampanga), Visayas (Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Samar, Bohol), and Mindanao (Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Pagadian, Butuan, Koronadal, Basilan, Sulu).
The deadline is March 4 for MILF, MNLF, and RPM-P/RPA-ABB members, and March 13 for CPP–NPA–NDF. The OPAPRU aims for 1,005 MILF applicants.
Jannati Mimbantas, the sole MILF grantee and a Bangsamoro Parliament member, urged fellow members to apply. The NAC, established under Duterte’s EO 125 (2021) and amended by Marcos’ EO 47 (2023), covers crimes like rebellion, sedition, and illegal firearms possession if linked to insurrection. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
