The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday rally behind the government’s plan to grant amnesty to communist rebel holdouts in a bid to ultimately resolve the long-standing communist insurgency movement in the country.
In a text message to Manila Standard, AFP spokesman, Colonel Medel Aguilar said they support the amnesty program that was being finalized by the Marcos administration designed to “unify Filipinos.”
“We support it. It will unify us, strengthen us. It is the road to peace.” Aguilar’s text message stated.
The proposed amnesty was rejected earlier by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) stating that revolutionaries are “not motivated by selfish desires and personal gain.”
“The Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army will firmly reject Marcos’s treacherous offer of amnesty and surrender,” CPP spokesman Marco Valbuena said in a statement.
“The revolutionary cause for genuine national freedom and social justice is far greater than any Marcos offer of amnesty. Revolutionaries are motivated not by the selfish desire for some personal gain, rather by the selfless devotion to serve and struggle with the people.” he added.
Valbuena also said Marcos was “seriously mistaken” to think that the NPA would “line up to gain a few individual concessions in exchange for giving up the much bigger people’s cause which they have committed themselves to.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Saturday said this “landmark” move on the government’s efforts on peace and development was “in the works” following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement on the peace process in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“In a landmark move toward reconciliation and reintegration, the Philippine government shall soon establish a new amnesty package that would allow members of non-State armed groups to relinquish their arms and return to society,” Bersamin, in a speech during the observance of the International Humanitarian Law Day, said.
In the speech delivered by Undersecretary Severo Catura, Bersamin said the program would provide a “dignified pathway” for the former combatants to rebuild their lives, become productive, and contribute to society’s progress.
“More importantly, this initiative shall be a bold step toward ending the vicious cycle of violence and fostering a culture of forgiveness and unity that promotes national healing,” he said in the speech.
Bersamin also said the administration’s move to institutionalize a program to encourage the rebels to return to the fold of the law shows its adherence to international humanitarian laws (IHL), which promotes peace and sustainable development.
“The Philippines embraces IHL as a cornerstone for human rights advocacy in the midst of such challenging circumstances,” he said.
“In its adherence to IHL, the State acknowledges its duty to protect civilian populations and non-combatants from harm at all times, and to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need. This commitment lays the groundwork for a safer environment where human rights are respected, and innocent lives are safeguarded,” Bersamin added.
He gave assurance that the Marcos administration would continue to observe genuine consultations and listen to affected communities to know their needs and sentiments.
“These consultations empower local voices and promote socio-economic development in marginalized communities, acting as deterrents against the allure of extremist ideologies,” Bersamin said.
The AFP has said lack of support pushes the 54-year-old communist insurgency to become a “dying movement.”
“We have achieved significant breakthrough in our campaign to end local communist armed conflict. With reduced capability and loss of people’s support, the CPP could hardly initiate a tactical offensive to threaten the peace,” Medel Aguilar said.
“Far from achieving its political objective, the CPP cadres are hanging on its last breath for the economic benefits afforded by the party’s resources generated locally and abroad,” he added.
He added that attrition in the CPP leadership and other members of its ranks have made it difficult for its leadership to convene the national congress and install a new set of executive committee members.
“Never before had the party experienced this difficulty in consolidating what remains of its members. Benito Tiamzon is nowhere to be found to make critical decisions for the party. His reported death is feared by the 54-year-old party to cause further demoralization and disintegration within the organization,” Aguilar said.
CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison died at the age of 83 in the Netherlands, 12 days before the CPP celebrated its 54th anniversary on Dec. 26.