Over 400 ex-NPAs so far applied
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas has recorded the highest number of former New People’s Army (NPA) members applying for amnesty in the entire country, according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).
Regional OPAPRU head Imelda Bonifacio disclosed that since December, 443 former rebels from the region have applied for amnesty under the national government’s program.
“Eastern Visayas ranks number one in the country in terms of the number of former NPA members who have applied for amnesty,” Bonifacio said in during the ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ of the Philippine Information Agency on March 18.
She attributed the high number of applicants to the large concentration of NPA forces in the region over the years.
During his March 14 visit to Tacloban City, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with some of these former rebels, including key former leaders of the communist armed group in the region.
“His personal visit will help boost our campaign to encourage more former rebels to surrender and avail themselves of the benefits being offered by the government,” Bonifacio said.
The President also led the oath-taking of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan as chairpersons of the Local Amnesty Boards for Leyte and Samar, respectively.
These boards are responsible for processing amnesty applications in their respective areas.
Of the 443 applicants, the majority—334—are from Samar Island, which includes the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar. The remaining 109 are from Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte.
Under the Marcos administration’s amnesty program, approved applicants will receive livelihood and financial assistance and will no longer face prosecution for offenses committed as members of the insurgent group.
However, Bonifacio clarified that individuals with pending criminal cases unrelated to insurgency, such as rape, will still face legal prosecution, as these are not covered under the amnesty program.
She encouraged active NPA members to surrender and apply for amnesty before the program ends in March 2026.
JOEY A. GABIETA
