AN estimated 40,000 former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and communist terrorist groups (CTGs) are estimated to avail of the government’s amnesty program, an official of the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) yesterday said.
But NAC executive director Maria Victoria Cardona said they have yet to start processing applications for the program as they are still waiting for a new proclamation order from President Marcos Jr.
The last amnesty proclamation was issued in February 2021, which took effect in January 2022 and lapsed in January this year.
Cardona said a new amnesty proclamation is needed to extend the processing period before they can begin accepting and processing applications.
Cardona was referring to Proclamation Numbers 1091 and 1093, issued on February 5, 2021, that granted amnesty to former MILF and CTG combatants.
She said the grant of amnesty is similar to a general pardon granted to political offenders bestowed by the President with concurrence of Congress. She also said there is a list of offenses that are covered by the pardon, but some criminal offenses are not covered by it.
Among those not covered by amnesty are crimes committed for personal ends, drug-related crimes, and crimes that the United Nations considers as ineligible for amnesty like genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations.
Section 19, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution grants the President the power to “grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the Congress.”
President Marcos Jr., during his second state of the nation address, said he will issue a new amnesty proclamation and asked Congress to concur with it.
“For almost half a century, some of our fellow Filipinos have taken to arms to make their views known and felt. We are now at a point in our history when their armed struggle has evolved. We have now progressed together towards peace and development,” the President said in his SONA.
“We have incorporated capacity-building and social protection into our reintegration programs to guarantee full decommissioning of former combatants. Through community development and livelihood programs, the Barangay Development and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Programs have been effective in addressing the root cause of conflict in the countryside. To complete this reintegration process, I will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees,” he added.
