At least 52 former rebels (FRs), mostly from northern Negros Occidental, have applied to the National Amnesty Commission Program-Bacolod Local Amnesty Board, as the five-day amnesty application event kicked off at the audiovisual room of the Bacolod City College.

Philippine Army 303rd Infantry Brigade Deputy Commander Colonel Victor Llapitan said this two-year amnesty program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. runs from March 2024 to March 2026 to give former rebels a chance to begin a new life after surrendering to the government.

The program accommodates applications from July 8 to 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with each army battalion set to bring to Bacolod City College former rebels who surrendered in their respective areas.

The staff of the National Amnesty Commission will brief the FRs about the program and assist them in filling out forms with the help of the Philippine National Police and the army.

The 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) brought 56 former rebels on Monday, July 8, representing the first batch; the 62nd IB in Central Negros is scheduled to bring applicants on Tuesday, July 9; the 94th IB on Wednesday, July 10; the 15th IB of the 302nd Brigade on Thursday, July 11; and the 11th IB on Friday, July 12.

According to Llapitan, the 303rd Brigade alone has around 300 rebel returnees, while other battalions have similar figures that can add up to a total of more than 500 rebel returnee applicants by the end of the week on July 12.

Llapitan said they continue to reach out to FRs to avail of the amnesty that would exonerate them from the crimes they had committed in the pursuit of their political beliefs.

All cases that an FR committed before November 22, 2023, are covered by the program. He said they didn’t know if other rebels had not been informed of the amnesty because some settled in different places.

The amnesty program is open to all FRs in Negros Island, Siquijor, Bohol (Cebu), and other areas, whether they have committed a crime or not, Llapitan said. (PIA-6 Negros Occidental)