President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has granted amnesty to nine former rebels, marking the first batch of grantees more than a year after he initiated the process through a series of proclamations.
In a document dated September 24, the Office of the President listed eight former communist rebels and one former Moro rebel as beneficiaries. According to the National Amnesty Commission (NAC), five of the recipients are women, two of them just 20 and 21 years old.
The NAC, tasked with handling the amnesty process through its Local Amnesty Boards, said the program is designed to help reintegrate former rebels into mainstream society. Those with pending applications may also be issued safe conduct passes, allowing them to face legal proceedings without fear of immediate arrest.
The sole Moro rebel included in the first batch is Basit Sarip Abbas, a former top commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Lanao del Sur who now serves as a Member of Parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. welcomed the decision, calling it a “historic milestone” in the country’s path toward peace and reconciliation. “We are happy that MP Abbas has finally achieved his dream of receiving amnesty from the government. It is our hope that he will serve as an inspiration to his other comrades to apply for amnesty and complete their transformation as peaceful, productive and law-abiding members of society,” Galvez said.
He also expressed gratitude to Marcos for the approval and urged more former rebels to take advantage of the opportunity before the program ends in March 2026.
The amnesty process began when Marcos signed four proclamations in November 2023 granting amnesty to members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front, the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade, the MILF, and the Moro National Liberation Front. These were later concurred with by the House of Representatives in December 2023 and the Senate in March 2024.
