TACLOBAN CITY — The Local Amnesty Board in Eastern Visayas issued safe conduct passes to 52 former members of the communist New People’s Army during a turnover ceremony at Tacloban City Hall on Wednesday, 17 December.

The passes allow the former combatants to live normal lives without fear of arrest for crimes committed in relation to their involvement in the communist movement.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, chair of the Local Amnesty Board-Tacloban, led the distribution of the passes and expressed gratitude to government agencies supporting the amnesty program.

Romualdez, who also chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council in Eastern Visayas, reiterated his opposition to violence and underscored the importance of listening to public concerns in addressing conflict.

Among the recipients was Jumelyn Banagbanag, a member of the Mamanwa indigenous community who previously served as a medic for the NPA’s Platoon 1, Island Committee, LEVOX. Banagbanag surrendered in 2021 to troops from the Army’s 14th Infantry Battalion and the 802nd Infantry Brigade.

“I can now work on my livelihood without the fear of being arrested by the police” she said.

Colonel Rico O. Amaro, deputy brigade commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, thanked Romualdez for his continued support of the Local Amnesty Board in facilitating the amnesty application process for former rebels.

Amaro urged the recipients to help the government encourage former comrades and family members still involved in the insurgency to surrender and avail themselves of the amnesty program.

He said the issuance of safe conduct passes to qualified applicants demonstrates the government’s sincerity in its anti-insurgency efforts.

Amaro also recognized the crucial role of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in addressing insurgency in Eastern Visayas.