Amnesty rules on criminal acts clarified

MANILA, Philippines — Rebels who committed crimes beyond Nov. 22, 2023 are not covered by the amnesty being given by the national government, National Amnesty Commission (NAC) commissioner Nasser Marohomsalic said yesterday.

Marohomsalic also said that the rebels who committed cases such as rape, arson, ransom, kidnap-for-ransom and drug-related cases are also not qualified to avail themselves of the amnesty program of the Marcos administration.

Amnestiable cases are rebellion or insurrection, disloyalty of public officers or employees, inciting to rebellion or insurrection; sedition, illegal assembly, direct/indirect assault, resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or agents; tumults, another disturbance of public order, unlawful use of means of communication, publication and utterances; alarm and scandal, illegal position of firearms, ammonization and explosives, those charged/detained or convicted of common crimes but who can establish by substantial evidence that they have actually committed such crimes in pursuit of  political beliefs.

Marohomsalic said that the amnesty program covered those active or non-active members of the Alex Boncayao Brigade-Revolutionary Proletariat ng Pilipinas at Manggagawa, breakaway faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines covered by President Marcos’ proclamation No. 403; former active and non-active members of the CPP-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front covered by proclamation No. 404; and former active and non-active members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

He said that the NAC is in charge of the government’s amnesty program, but its mandate is to accept and process amnesty applications of the these rebel groups.

Marohomsalic said that there are 100,000 former rebels who will avail themselves of the grant of amnesty.

He said that from the MILF side, there are about 13,000 applicants a year since the filing of application commenced while there are also thousands from the MNLF.

“But what is happening is that, along the way some rebels fall in line. So even if you are not active members or no longer a rebel, according to the list of the rebel organizations, you can also apply for amnesty as long as the crimes committed are in pursuit of your political beliefs and it happened on or before Nov. 22, 2023. Thereafter, you can no longer apply,” Marohomsalic said.

Marohomsalic added that cases with civil liability are not covered by the grant of amnesty.