Officials of the National Amnesty Commission and the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) on Wednesday assured former rebels in Negros Oriental of the speedy processing of their application for government amnesty.
The assurance was made during the filing of application for amnesty by 12 members of the Kapatiran Para sa Progresong Panlipunan at the 302nd Army Brigade headquarters in Tanjay City.
Kapatiran was used to be known as the Rebolusyonaryong Partido Ng Manggagawa Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), a breakaway group from the New People’s Army (NPA).
Undersecretary Cesar Yano, OPAPRU chief and chairman of the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-Kapatiran peace agreement, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration is targeting to complete the amnesty program even before his term ends.
“President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 403 on the granting of amnesty for the RPA-ABB, which is different from that of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” Yano said.
Veronica Tabara, national chair of Kapatiran and co-chair of the GPH-Kapatiran peace agreement, said they have over 700 members across the country.
“The processing of amnesty application for the RPM-RPA-ABB in Negros Oriental is the first in the country, and we are blessed and lucky to have been given this opportunity,” Tabara said.
She added that originally, some 20 to 25 Kapatiran members in Negros Oriental were identified for Wednesday’s activity, but many could not make it due to communication or transportation limitations.
But Tabara said they can also process the amnesty applications in other areas if the former rebels are willing to travel, with Yano adding they can be given safe conduct passes.
A total of 60 Kapatiran members have been identified in Negros Oriental, many of them residing at a housing site in Barangay San Miguel, Tanjay City.
Tabara said they are optimistic this time that the amnesty program can fully take off under the Marcos administration.
“We have waited a long time since 2000 when the peace process between us and the government started. But we also understand the limitations and restrictions encountered along the way but we have not lost hope,” she said.
Lawyer Lea Armamento, chair of the National Amnesty Commission, urged the former rebels to be open and raise their issues and concerns regarding the amnesty program to determine how the government can respond to their needs.
Armamento said they will try their best to answer the queries of the former rebels regarding the benefits the government can give them if the amnesty is granted.
“The President has the final say on the amnesty. We are just here to facilitate the applications with OPAPRU as a partners,” she said.
A similar activity will be held on Thursday for Kapatiran members who are applying for amnesty in Negros Occidental.
Tabara said there are six organized Kapatiran groups in Negros Occidental and one in Negros Oriental. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
