MANILA, Philippines 鈥 Former rebels who wish to apply for government amnesty may download the form online beginning this week, National Amnesty Commission (NAC) official Jamar Kulayan said Thursday.
In a phone interview with INQUIREr.net, the NAC commissioner said they anticipate around 80,000 eligible ex-insurgents to apply for amnesty.
He added that even before the release of the Amnesty Program鈥檚 implementing rules and regulations (IRR), former members of the New People鈥檚 Army (NPA), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) may already avail of the government鈥檚 reprieve offer.
Kulayan earlier said that the IRR of Presidential Proclamation No. 404 would be issued before the end of March. Presidential Proclamation No. 404 seeks to grant amnesty for members of the NPA, RPMP-RPA-ABB, MILF, and MNLF. The decree, however, excludes rebels already convicted or charged under Republic Act (RA) No. 9372, or the Human Security Act of 2007; and RA 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
鈥淎ctually, even before [the release of the IRR], they can already apply,鈥 Kulayan said.
鈥淲e will be posting in due time, maybe within the day, we will be posting the application form [on] our Facebook page so those applicants can already download it and accomplish the same, and submit them to our local amnesty boards,鈥 he also said.
Pressed further on the actual date NAC plans to publish the amnesty form, the official said: 鈥淲ithin the day (Thursday), or at the latest, maybe tomorrow (Friday).鈥
READ: Senate adopts reso on amnesty for former CPP-NPA-NDF members
On Wednesday, the Senate adopted the resolution that concurs with Presidential Proclamation No. 404, paving the way for the release of its IRR that would authorize the processing of applications.
Kulayan said around 39,000 to 40,000 former NPA members and most of the 40,000 decommissioned MILF combatants are eligible for amnesty.
More or less聽 2,000 former MNLF fighters聽 and 1,700 former members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB could likewise avail of the government鈥檚 offer, he added.
READ: Galvez says gov鈥檛 to finish process of disarming MILF fighters before 2025
The MILF forged a peace agreement with the Philippine government which resulted in the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).
The decommissioning of former MILF fighters is now ongoing, and the government targets to finish the process before BARRM鈥檚 first-ever elections in 2025.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), whose armed wing is the NPA, previously rejected the government鈥檚 amnesty offer. However, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines 鈥 the CPP鈥檚 political arm 鈥 and the government also agreed in November 2023 to come up with a framework to restart the peace talks.