THE APPLICATION period for the government’s amnesty program formally concluded on March 13, with 623 former communist rebels managing to enroll in the program, data from the Office of the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) XI showed.
Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, CORDS XI chairperson and Mindanao Development Authority chief, hailed the development as a triumph for reconciliation and national unity.
“We recognize this as a significant milestone for the Davao Region,” Magno said in a statement. “It reinforces the conditions for inclusive growth and stability, aligning with the national government’s goal of a just and lasting peace.”
The National Amnesty Commission and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) guided applicants through the legal process.
Magno also highlighted the “pivotal” role of Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao Inc., an organization composed of former rebels and a member of the JRTF-ELCAC XI Technical Working Group. It served as a bridge between the government and those still in the underground movement.
While the application phase has ended, Magno emphasized that peacebuilding efforts will not stop.
“Peace requires sustained cooperation to address the root causes of armed conflict,” he said. “Our work continues to ensure that the Davao Region maintains its insurgency-free status and protects the gains we have achieved for sustainable development.”
The amnesty program aims to provide former combatants with a path toward legal reintegration, effectively removing the threat of prosecution for political crimes and allowing them to return to mainstream society.
