KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 26 March) – One in every three former rebels who applied for amnesty across the country is from Mindanao, data from the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) showed.
Of the 16,003 amnesty applicants, 6,330 or about 40 percent are from Mindanao, followed by Luzon with 5,868 and Visayas with 3,805.
The amnesty applicants belong to the 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), and Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa–Pilipinas / Revolutionary Proletarian Army–Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB), now known as the “Kapatiran” or brotherhood/sisterhood.
The deadline of application for the CPP-NPA-NDF ended last March 13 and March 4 for the others.
In the entire country, most of the applicants are from the CPP-NPA-NDF, with a total of 13,633, of which 4,689 were filed in Mindanao.
On the other hand, the Mindanao-based MILF and MNLF logged 1,240 and 646 applications, respectively.
Amnesty applications from members of the RPM-P/RPA-ABB reached 484.
MindaNews obtained the NAC data on Monday, which showed the applicants filing their bids to 20 Local Amnesty Boards (LABs) scattered in different parts of the Philippines.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. described the amnesty application turnout as another “major milestone under the comprehensive Philippine peace process.”
In a statement, Galvez, who heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said the high turnout of amnesty applicants is “a testament to their determination to start a new chapter in their lives, as well as show their full trust and confidence in the national government.”
“This milestone reflects the desire of these former combatants to turn away from decades of armed struggle, embrace peace, and rebuild their lives,” Galvez said.
He stressed that the amnesty program is a cornerstone of the Marcos administration’s peace agenda, which aims to complement all signed peace agreements and the ongoing normalization and transformation programs, particularly in Mindanao.
However, the normalization track for the 40,000-strong MILF suffered a setback after the front suspended the last phase of its decommissioning involving 14,000 combatants and 2,450 weapons in July 2025.
According to Galvez, the next phase of the amnesty program will focus on processing the applications, granting amnesty, and ensuring that beneficiaries receive the support they need, including livelihood assistance, education, and other essential socioeconomic programs.
Sixteen applicants – 15 from the CPP–NPA–NDF and one from the MILF – have been granted amnesty by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., NAC data showed.
So far, the only amnesty grantee from the MILF 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.
Amnesty restores the civil and political rights of the grantee. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
