300 former NPA members seek amnesty

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – A total of 300 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Western Visayas have applied for amnesty as of July 11.

The bulk of the applicants were from Negros Island with 210, followed by the Panay area with 90.

Lieutenant Colonel J-jay Javines, head of the Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said these applicants surrendered to the government since 2018.

A total of 175 applicants were from the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), 35 from the 302nd IBde, and 90 from the 301st IBde.

Under the 303rd IBde, 92 were from the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB), 53 from the 79th IB, and 30 from the 62nd IB. For the 302nd IBde, 24 were from the 11th IB, and 11 from the 15th IB.

Under the 301st IBde, 31 were from the 61st IB, 30 from the 82nd IB, 20 from the 12th IB, and nine from the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB).

Javines said the application for the amnesty program would run from March this year to March 2026.

He mentioned that the amnesty might only be granted to former NPA rebels with offenses in pursuit of political beliefs, such as rebellion, insurrection, scandal, and disturbance, among others.

With the granting of amnesty, former rebels would be exonerated from their offenses covered by the program.

“This means if a former rebel has a warrant, they will not be imprisoned or arrested,” Javines said, stressing that the amnesty enables former rebels to be absolved of their crimes, regardless of the number of offenses committed in pursuit of political beliefs.

He stated that the applicants were screened by the Local Amnesty Board, after which they would be recommended to the National Amnesty Council.

Before applying for amnesty, a former rebel should have been charged or convicted for a crime or an offense, he added.

In November 2023, the President issued Proclamations 403, 404, 405, and 406 granting amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA-National Democratic Front (NDF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), respectively.

As provided in Article VII, Section 19 of the 1987 Constitution, the President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of Congress.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, 303rd IBde commander, reiterated the commitment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to assisting the National Amnesty Commission and other relevant local and national agencies in effectively implementing the government’s amnesty program.

He emphasized the AFP’s role in providing essential security, intelligence, and logistical support, and expressed a strong willingness to collaborate closely with the Local Amnesty Board in all peace process-related initiatives.

For his part, Colonel Victor Llapitan, deputy brigade commander and a member of the Local Amnesty Board Bacolod Committee, said those granted amnesty would regain their political and civil rights and be seamlessly reintegrated into society without repercussions for their past actions.