Marcos orders issuance of safe conduct passes for amnesty applicants

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao del Norte (MindaNews / 11 April) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday signed a memorandum order the issuance of safe conduct passes to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and individuals who belonged to other revolutionary groups who wish to avail of amnesty but have pending arrest warrants.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shows the memorandum order for the issuance of safe conduct passes for former rebels who wish to apply for amnesty. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA

Speaking at the Army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters, Marcos said the measure was part of the national government’s broader push to “open doors to those who sincerely wish to return to the fold of the law.”

“Today, I want to tell you: our door is open,” Marcos said in Filipino.

The order authorized the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) to grant safe conduct passes to qualified amnesty applicants numbering 2,517 individuals, giving them temporary protection from arrest, detention, or prosecution while their applications are being processed.

The MILF has 539 applicants, Moro National Liberation Front 298, Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army 1,615, and the RPMA-RPA-RBB, a breakaway from the CPP-NPA, 65.

“These safe conduct passes will not only provide protection to amnesty applicants against arrest, detention, and prosecution. More importantly, they are an invitation to all rebels to end the armed struggle,” Marcos said.

NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra- Armamento is optimistic that with the signing of the memorandum order the number of amnesty applicants will double.

“Today is a big step for us. This will encourage the applicants who had been in hiding for years to have a first taste of fresh air, of freedom, and come out to avail of the President’s kindhearted act of giving them a new start in the life of a free man,” Armamento said.

The move followed delays in the implementation of the amnesty program for former rebels due to legal concerns over pending criminal cases, many of which are related to the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.

While previous peace agreements paved the way for the decommissioning of MILF fighters and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), thousands of former combatants still face arrest despite laying down their arms.

“This is very important, it’s really another milestone when it comes to looking for the normalization of our combatants because most of our combatants are afraid because we were tagged as criminals,” according to newly installed BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.

“Everyone who wants to apply, this is now the right time because the President already granted the request for the application of amnesty. In fact, this signing today is a very significant step towards that proposal,” Macacua, also the chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the MILF’s military arm, added.

A safe conduct pass serves as a formal assurance from the government that the holder will not be arrested while engaging in peace-related or administrative processes, such as amnesty hearings and participating in the electoral process.

However, it does not automatically dismiss criminal charges and is valid only during the pendency of the amnesty application.

“We know that many want to live peacefully and in accordance with the law, but the cases filed against them have become obstacles to their transformation,” Marcos said.

“So today, we reaffirm that national unity must prevail above all. Let us choose what is right toward a peaceful and prosperous future for our children and for all Filipinos,” he said.

Marcos signed the order for the issuance of safe conduct passes in the presence of Macacua, ranking military officials, and representatives from both the MILF and MNLF.

The MILF signed a peace accord with the government in 2014 after decades of conflict that claimed over 120,000 lives. Despite political gains and the transition to regional self-rule, sporadic violence and deep-rooted mistrust persist in some communities. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)