President Marcos grants safe conduct passes to amnesty applicants

MANILA, Philippines — To encourage rebels and communist insurgents to avail themselves of the government’s amnesty program, President Marcos on Friday ordered the issuance of safe conduct passes to applicants.

Marcos signed a memorandum order for the grant of safe conduct passes during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division at Camp Brigadier General Gonzalo H. Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

“These safe conduct passes will not only protect amnesty applicants against arrest, detention and prosecution. These are invitations for all rebels to abandon the armed struggle,” Marcos said.

The order authorizes the National Amnesty Commission to issue safe conduct passes to amnesty applicants covered by Proclamations 403, 404, 405 and 406.

The proclamations, all issued in 2023, extended the amnesty application period for members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Rovolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade, Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and their front organizations to two years from the effectivity of the issuances.

Marcos noted that insurgents are reluctant to apply for amnesty for fear of being arrested.