PBBM offers amnesty to former rebels

Published on: July 28, 2023

Updated as of July 28, 2023 3:30 pm

By Consuelo Alarcon

TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on Congress to support him in granting amnesty to rebel returnees during his 2nd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 24, positive remarks from former rebels in Eastern Visayas were elicited.

Margie Dela Cruz, executive director of the USWAG Sinirangan Bisayas, shared her thoughts and feelings on the president’s pronouncement, saying it will enable former rebels to have peace in their lives and make a successful transformation to mainstream society as they return to the folds of the law.

“Maganda po. Sa pagkarinig namin at nababasa, nagagalak po kami doon kasi maraming FR’s po ang mga nagbalik-loob sa gobyerno pero hindi pa sila makapamuhay nang tahimik kasi may mga kaso pa silang hinaharap. Gusto naming mabigyan na sila nang tamang pamumuhay,” Dela Cruz said.

As this develops, Dela Cruz hopes that the said amnesty program will be implemented soon along with other benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government.

Another former rebel identified as “Ka Freddie,” who surrendered only this year, noted that such an initiative by the president will encourage more rebels to surrender.

Three former rebels in Eastern Visayas thanked President Marcos for pushing an amnesty program for former rebels, as mentioned during PBBM’s 2nd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 24. (PIA-8)

“Kumbaga, ini nga ginhimo nga proklamasyon makakaenganyo ini hiton mga kasama nga aadto nagpapabilin pa nga magbalik-loob ha gobyerno,” (This means that the proclamation will encourage the remaining rebels to return to the fold of the government), Ka Freddie said in Waray language.

“Ka Jennilyn,” also a rebel returnee from Quinapondan, Eastern Samar, said the amnesty program is a tool that can convince those who are still at war with the government to lay down their arms.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser General Eduardo M. Año lauded the President for his continuing support of the flagship programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) like the Barangay Development Program (BDP) which brings much-needed development projects to barangays recently cleared of CPP-NPA-NDF influence, and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) which supports the reintegration of rebel returnees into mainstream society.

“His personal commitment to these programs means that the President is truly determined to address the root causes of armed conflict in the countryside,” Ano said.

As he thanked the President for his announcement on the amnesty, Año underscored that said proclamation will be an important step to finally end communist terrorism in the country, as it will pave the way for the mass surrender of the NPA remnants in the remaining guerrilla fronts of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).

In addition, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Secretariat considered the message of the President a welcome development.

Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., executive director of the NTF-ELCAC National Secretariat, supports the amnesty initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as mentioned during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24. (PIA-8 file photo)

In a statement, Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., executive director of the NTF-ELCAC National Secretariat, said the amnesty initiative will bolster the NTF-ELCAC’s call for the remaining armed combatants to lay down their weapons and embrace the path to peace.

“It will also make the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) more inclusive and more appealing to the remnants of the CPP-NPA-NDF, for them to rebuild their lives and contribute to our nation’s development,” Torres said.

Data gathered from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas showed that a total of 570 rebel returnees have already availed of the E-CLIP program in the region since 2017. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)