• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A total of 411 former members of the defunct Revolutionary Proletarian Army- Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) have applied for government amnesty, as the deadline for application ended March 4.
The RPA-ABB, a splinter faction of the New People’s Army, entered into a peace agreement with the government in the year 2000.
Majority of its members are in Negros Island.
Records of the National Amnesty Commission also showed that 9,511 NPA members and their front organizations applied for amnesty, as filing of applications ended on March 13.
Also seeking amnesty were 1,258 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and 638 members of the Moro National Liberation Front.
The government’s amnesty program is intended for former rebels who have legal cases related to acts committed in pursuit of their political beliefs.
Qualified applicants may be granted amnesty, allowing them to reintegrate into mainstream society without prosecution for their past offenses.
According to the NAC, local outreach initiatives helped increase the number of applicants as the deadline approached, with Local Amnesty Boards conducting information drives and application intake activities across the country.
NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said the response to the program shows that many former rebels are choosing to reintegrate into society.
“The strong response to the amnesty program shows that many of our fellow Filipinos are ready to move forward and pursue a future defined by peace and opportunity,” Tanodra-Armamento said in a statement.*
