Step towards ending EV Red problem
TACLOBAN CITY-A total of 61 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas have already filled out application forms for amnesty under the National Amnesty Commission (NAC).
However, the processing of these 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., revealed that while the NAC began accepting applications in December 2024, applicants have yet to be entertained locally.
The 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 National has not designated a member. Majority of the applicants seek amnesty to avoid imprisonment, while others aim to clear their records to secure jobs without prejudice,” Gabin, who has yet to apply an application for amnesty, said in an online interview on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Gabin was once the deputy secretary for education of the CPP in the region. She was arrested in 2020 in Tolosa, Leyte, together with her husband. 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 also highlighted that 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. Gabin herself expressed her intent to apply once the local amnesty board is operational.
Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, echoed Gabin’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the 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 New People’s Army (NPA) to abandon armed struggle, knowing they will be pardoned.
“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 November 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 lay down arms.
JOEY A. GABIETA
