Good news for rebel surrenderees

NAC to set up in Bohol

Local amnesty board

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, December 20 (PIA)—The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) is looking at establishing in Bohol a Local Amnesty Board (LAB) to facilitate the processing and review of amnesty applications from former rebels who are now Bohol’s partners in reforms.

This is according to the focal person for the Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), Romeo Teruel, during a recent interview at Kapihan sa PIA in Bohol.

Former rebels who have decided to surrender and rejoin the mainstream may have to face criminal suits while they were involved in the communist insurgency movement, that the fastest way they can get cleared of criminal and civil liabilities, is by earning an amnesty, something that the president, with the congressional concurrence can only grant.

And as the NAC is primarily tasked to receive, review and processing applications for amnesty, it has established 9 LABs to assist it in their tasks, Teruel explained.

Aside from the NAC established LAB at the NCR, the establishment of the LAB in Bohol, would be the third in the Visayas.

Already set here are the LAB in Bacolod and another LAB in Ilo-ilo.

LABs in Mindanao include the ones in Cotabato City, Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian City, Davao City, Isabela City in Basilan and the LAB in Jolo Sulu.

On this, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, whose first term in the provincial government is marked by the most number of surrendering rebels in a day, for Bohol getting insurgency-free status, and setting up a local version of the expanded comprehensive local integration program offered by the national government, has uttered his excitement with the courts here still hearing cases involving political prisoners dating back in the early 80’s.

In the case of amnesty, former members of the Communist party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and their front organizations, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and members of the Moro National Liberation Front who have committed any act or omission in pursuit of their political beliefs, including those detained, charged or convicted of such acts or omissions may file an application for an amnesty

This is as long as the crime for which the amnesty is sought, was committed before November 22, 2023, according to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Proclamation 405.

Persons whose amnesty applications were not considered under the previous proclamations being outside the reglementary period may also apply.

Eligible for amnesty are those whose offenses are committed in the pursuit of political belief, like rebellion or insurrection, conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion, disloyalty to public officers and employees, inciting to rebellion, tumults and public disturbances, unlawful means of publications and utterances, alarms and scandals, illegal possession of fire arms ammunition, explosives which these are used in furtherance of rebellion.

In fact, the new IRR also claims common crimes but which can later be established as done in pursuit of political beliefs, can be eligible for amnesty.

In comparison with pardon which is granted by the President individually when one commits any crime and has been convicted of it, amnesty can be granted by the president with Congressional concurrence, generally and can be given even if the cases is still pending trial or investigation against a political offense.

At that, the LAB establishment ion Bohol can already receive and process amnesty applications, issue and release provincial safe conduct passes for the executive committee to issue safe conduct passes, conduct preliminary investigations and verifications of the received amnesty applications for identity verification and other circumstances or conduct hearings and conferences relative to the amnesty application.

The LAB can also deliberate, review and recommend amnesty applications, coordinate with other LABS in the processing of amnesty applications, referrals for turned over firearms, ammunitions, weapons and explosives.

With the development, instead of submitting amnesty applications in Bacolod, Bohol rebel returnees or detained rebels can now file their applications here, and making the tasks of the NAC easier. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

ANYTIME SOON. A few weeks before the National Amnesty Commission holds their annual assessment in Panglao, ELCAC Bohol focal person Romeo Teruel shared to the PPOC Legal Cluster Committee the good news, which could motivate more inactive rebels to finally come out and avail of this chance at cleaning their slates. (PIA-Bohol)