Marcos to issue amnesty proclamation for ex-rebels

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to former rebels in order to complete the government’s reintegration process.

During his State of the Nation Address yesterday, Marcos said he would ask Congress to support him in this endeavor.

“For almost half a century, some of our fellow Filipinos have taken to arms to make their views known and felt. We are now at a point in our history when their armed struggle has evolved. We have now progressed together toward peace and development,” he said.

Marcos cited the incorporation of capacity-building and social protection into the reintegration programs to guarantee full decommissioning of former combatants.

He said the community development and livelihood programs as well as the barangay development and enhanced comprehensive local integration programs have been effective in addressing the root cause of conflict in the countryside.

Earlier, presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legislative Affairs (ODESLA) is studying a proposal to extend the application period for the granting of amnesty to former rebels.

Galvez made the statement after the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) said that the agency is determined to fast-track the implementation of the government’s amnesty program for qualified members of revolutionary organizations.

“We welcome the call of the President to extend the application period for the granting of amnesty to former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front. It is a valid and reasonable request,” NAC chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said.

Galvez said the ODESLA is in a position to determine the legality of the proposal.

He said the amnesty would not only “give former rebels relief for the crimes they have committed, but will provide an opportunity for them to rebuild their lives.”