The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) is looking forward to processing at least 20,000 amnesty applications of former rebels with the creation of more local amnesty boards.
NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said there are nine local amnesty boards in charge of engaging persons deprived of liberty to apply for amnesty.
“We’re still looking into establishing additional 10 local amnesty board because of the concurrence of Congress on the proclamations granting amnesty to former rebels of the CPP-NPA-NDF under front organizations,” she said.
She said the NAC has received only 28 hard copies of amnesty applications so visits to places of detention are done to reach out to potential applicants.
Earlier, the NAC said it is preparing 100,000 applicants for amnesty.
The processing of amnesty application from the time it is submitted to the NAC until it is forwarded to the Office of the President takes 90 days.
The application period for amnesty is only within two years since the time the Congress has concurred.
“So for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) it will be two years from March 13. For the rest, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas (RPMP), Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), it will be two years from March 4,” Armamento said.
“It’s in our rules of procedure, provided that the offense is committed before Nov. 22, 2023 when the President issued the proclamation, the act of filing application for amnesty is considered as surrender,” she said.
The NAC has signed a memoramdum of agreement with the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos, aiming to provide them with assistance in information dissemination about amnesty in areas in Mindanao unreached by radio, television. and telecommunications.
The NAC was established during the Duterte administration under Executive Order 125, s. 2021, which was later amended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. with Executive Order 47.
Marcos signed Proclamations 403, 404, 405, and 406, which grant amnesty to members of the MILF, MNLF, RPMP-RPA-ABB, and former members or returnees of the CPP-NPA or their front organizations. – PNA
