ZAMBOANGA CITY — Former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) can regain their civil and political rights as soon as they avail of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (PBBM) Jr.’s amnesty program.
National Amnesty Commission (NAC) Commissioner Atty. Jamar Kulayan said yesterday that amnesty is granted to former rebels who, due to their political beliefs, fought against the government and were later deprived of their rights to vote, run, and sell their properties, among others.
According to Kulayan, MNLF and MILF ex-combatants may apply for the amnesty grant by downloading and filling out the forms available on the NAC Facebook page and at the Local Amnesty Board (LAB) all over the country.
In Mindanao, the NAC has LAB in Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian, Davao, and IsabelaCity, including Jolo in Sulu Province.
He explained the applicants may apply until 4 March 2026, exactly two years after the Senate adopted the Proclamations, following a series of rigorous interpellations, before the Body’s 63rd plenary session on March 4 this year.
Kulayan said that in November last year, PBBM granted amnesty to the ex-Moro rebels — the MILF and the MNLF — under Proclamation Nos. 405 and 406, respectively, in furtherance of the normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The CAB is the concluding Government of the Philippines (GPH)-MILF peace accord with the MILF that ended their decades-long armed struggle.
Kulayan urged the former MILF and MNLF combatants to avail themselves of the amnesty program, saying, “This is the most generous offer on the part of the government since you are given two years to apply for an amnesty.”
The NAC’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), adopted on March 14, for amnesty applications, will expedite the application process with the help of their office or other concerned agencies.
“According to the IRR, individuals seeking amnesty must file their applications with LAB, where initial eligibility assessments will be conducted. Subsequently, the LAB will forward its recommendations to the NAC, which will further review and pass on its suggestions to the President for final approval,” Kulayan said.
Kulayan reassured the ex-rebels that with the ongoing amnesty application hearings or existing warrants of arrest, they may still apply, with ensured security or no apprehension from the authority, by obtaining provisional safe conduct passes from the nearest LAB.