Commissioner for National Amnesty Commission (NAC) Atty. Jamar Kulayan explains amnesty grants of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for former Moro rebels on May 20, 2024 in Cotabato City. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
COTABATO CITY—Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) will regain their civil and political rights as soon as they avail President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, (PBBM) Jr.’s amnesty program.
This was addressed on Monday, May 20, during an interview with National Amnesty Commission (NAC) Commissioner Atty. Jamar Kulayan in this city.
“The amnesty is granted to former rebels who, due to their political beliefs, fought against the government and were later deprived of their rights to vote, run, and sell their properties, among others,” he said.
In November 2023, PBBM granted amnesty to the ex-Moro rebels—the MILF and the MNLF—under Proclamation Nos. 405 and 406, respectively, in furtherance of the normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The CAB is the concluding Government of the Philippines (GPH)-MILF peace accord that ended their decades-long armed struggle.
Kulayan shared that the ex-combatants may apply for the amnesty grant by downloading and filling out the forms available on the NAC Facebook page and/or its Local Amnesty Board (LAB) all over the Philippines.
In Mindanao, the NAC has LAB in the cities of Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian, Davao, and Isabela, including Sulu Province.
He explained the applicants may apply until March 4, 2026, exactly two years after the Senate adopted the Proclamations, following a series of rigorous interpellations, before the Body’s 63rd plenary session on March 4 this year.
Further, he urged the former combatants to avail themselves of the amnesty program, saying, “This is the most generous offer on the part of the government since you are given two years to apply for an amnesty.”
The Commissioner continued that the NAC’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), adopted on March 14, for amnesty applications will expedite the application process with the help of their office or other concerned agencies.
“According to the IRR, individuals seeking amnesty must file their applications with LAB, where initial eligibility assessments will be conducted. Subsequently, the LAB will forward its recommendations to the NAC, which will further review and pass on its suggestions to the President for final approval,” the NAC Facebook page said.
Kulayan also reassured that ex-rebels with ongoing amnesty application hearings or existing warrants of arrest may still apply, with ensured security or no apprehension from the authority, by obtaining provisional safe conduct passes from the nearest LAB.
Supporting the normalization process for the transitioning combatants aligns with the 11th priority agenda of Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
