GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 21 January) – Almost 1,000 members of the erstwhile rebel group, the 40,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have so far applied for amnesty, with the recent application of 60 mostly base commanders in the Lanao provinces.
The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) confirmed Wednesday that the Local Amnesty Board in Cagayan de Oro (LAB CDO) processed the new amnesty applications at Camp Bilal Bin Rabbah in Munai, Lanao del Norte.
Member of Parliament Abdullah Macapaar, aka Commander Bravo, chief of the MILF’s North Eastern Mindanao Command, invited LAB CDO to conduct the second cycle of the amnesty caravan last January 21 at Camp Bilal.
In his letter, Macapaar said the issuance of safe conduct passes to 33 MILF commanders, who submitted their amnesty applications during the June 11, 2025 caravan, has encouraged more ranking MILF members to take advantage of the program.
The new applications from the MILF members reflect the growing trust of former combatants in the government’s amnesty program and their willingness to formally rejoin society under a framework of peace, justice, and reconciliation, NAC said in a statement.
The caravan is in line with the NAC’s dedication to bring the government’s amnesty program closer to its intended beneficiaries by providing onsite application intake, information dissemination, and assistance to qualified individuals, it said.
At the end of 2025, there were 928 MILF members who sought amnesty.
To date, NAC reported that the MILF members who applied for amnesty totaled 991.
The only amnesty grantee from the MILF so far is Jannati Mimbantas, commander of the MILF Northeastern Mindanao Front. He has been serving as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority or Bangsamoro Parliament under the name Basit Abas.
In general, the NAC has received a total of 7,379 amnesty applications –5,884 from the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP–NPA–NDF), 412 from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and 92 from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas–Revolutionary Proletarian Army–Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB).
So far, 16 applicants – 15 from the CPP–NPA–NDF and one from the MILF – have been granted amnesty by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., NAC data showed.
NAC Commissioner Jamar Kulayan urged former rebels across the country to apply for amnesty with the deadline drawing to a close.
The deadline of application is on March 4 for former members of the MILF, MNLF and RPM-P/RPA-ABB, and on March 13 for former members of the CPP–NPA–NDF.
The NAC constituted LABs in the different parts of the nation where interested individuals can apply for amnesty.
For Luzon, the LABs are located at the NAC Central Office in Quezon City, Baguio City, La Union, Quezon, Isabela, Albay and Pampanga.
In the Visayas, the LABs are in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Samar and Bohol.
In Mindanao, these are in the cities of Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Pagadian, Butuan, Koronadal and Isabela in Basilan, and Jolo municipality in Sulu.
“If they are granted amnesty, their civil and political rights are restored,” Kulayan told MindaNews.
The NAC was established during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, through Executive Order (EO)125, series of 2021, and amended by EO 47, series of 2023 under Marcos.
Crimes covered by amnesty include, among others, rebellion or insurrection, sedition, and illegal possession of firearms, ammunition or explosives, provided that these crimes or offenses were committed in furtherance of, incident to, or in connection with the crimes of rebellion or insurrection. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
