At least 300 former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the islands of Negros and Panay have registered for the government’s amnesty program, the Philippine Army said on Sunday.

Through the assistance from the line battalions of the 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades, the National Amnesty Commission’s Local Amnesty Board (LAB)-Bacolod processed the application of 210 former rebels in Negros Island the Bacolod City College campus.

While the 301st Infantry Brigade at Camp General Adriano Hernandez in Dingle town assisted 90 former rebels in Panay Island.

Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of 3ID, again urged the remaining CPP-NPA members to “surrender, leave their past behind, and choose peaceful and productive lives.”

“The former rebels’ willingness to apply for amnesty is an affirmation of their readiness to forgive, seek forgiveness, and embrace second chances, paving the way for establishing a harmonious and inclusive region with stable internal peace and security,” Sison said.

The Army reported all five guerrilla fronts of the CPP-NPA have been dismantled in Negros province, while only one rebel front is operating in Panay province.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Proclamation Nos. 403, 404, 405, and 406 on 2 November 2023 granting amnesty to members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB, former members of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front or their front organizations, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and members of the Moro National Liberation Front, respectively.

The proclamation grants amnesty to former rebels and insurgents who have committed crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code and special penal laws in furtherance of their political beliefs.

Further, crimes subject to amnesty, committed before 22 November 2023, include rebellion or insurrection, conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion or insurrection, the disloyalty of public officers or employees, inciting rebellion or insurrection, sedition, and other similar crimes.

Over 100,000 former rebels, including Muslim separatists and communist insurgents, are expected to avail of the government’s amnesty program.