Marcos directs immediate enforcement of amnesty programs for remaining Reds

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. ordered the immediate implementation of the amnesty program for the remaining communist rebels, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said Thursday.

''The President has directed the immediate implementation of the amnesty program for the remaining members of the CPP-NPA-NDF since Congress has already concurred with the proclamation,'' Año said at a Palace press briefing.

This came following the 5th National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Committee Meeting with the President at the Heroes Hall inside the Palace compound.

Año earlier called on former members of rebel groups to avail of the government's amnesty program, which has already started accepting applications.

He urged members of the following groups to take advantage of the amnesty program:

• Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian-Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB)
• Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF)
• Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
• Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)

So far, there are 1,500 applicants in the government's amnesty program, according to Año.

Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that those who would be receiving amnesty are the 40,000 rebels who have surrendered to the government.

''I believe 'yung aming discussion with the Congress, they understand that those who will be given the amnesty is only for the 40,000 surrenderers. Those who are still in the mountains... the Amnesty Commission will determine now if they will be, kasi ang ano natin diyan the National Amnesty Commission will be given the power to adjudicate based on the proclamations given by the President,'' Galvez said.

Asked if there will be an expanded coverage of the amnesty program, Galvez said, ''Yes, it might, but definitely ang coverage ngayon is for the meantime those who really surrendered and go back to the folds of the law.''

Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the Philippine military had set deadlines for its units on the ground to dismantle the remaining weakened guerilla fronts ''to address the vertical units of the New People’s Army and also to continue to dismantle the regional party committees and sub-regional committees.''
 
''So, nagbigay tayo ng mga targets sa mga units natin kaya’t kung mapapansin po ninyo ay halos everyday ay nagkakaroon po tayo ng mga armed encounters —not just between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the members of the New People’s Army but also with the local terrorist groups. So, we launched expansive and intensive military operations against all of these threat groups,'' Brawner said.

Last March, the Senate unanimously adopted House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 20 for the granting of amnesty to former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

In the same month, the Senate also unanimously adopted three House concurrent resolutions approving presidential proclamations which grant amnesty to former members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB, MILF, and the MNLF.

At the NTF-ELCAC meeting, Marcos reiterated his directive for government agencies to activate their respective project development offices for the implementation of the task force's projects in their respective agencies.

Meanwhile, the NSA also disclosed that the Barangay Development Program or BDP has been established or was established with the end goal of bringing development to conflict-affected communities.

Since the program’s inception, a total of P30.4 billion has been allocated to benefit some 4,501 barangays nationwide that were cleared of NPA influence. —RF/VBL, GMA Integrated News