President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the national government’s commitment to supporting the country’s peace process, emphasizing the importance of unity and reintegration efforts.
Speaking at the oath-taking of new members of the Local Amnesty Boards of Eastern Visayas on Friday, the President underscored the role of these boards in sustaining the progress made in peace efforts.
“Know very well that we, in the national government, are very supportive and will continue to be supportive of all you are doing,” Mr. Marcos said.
He highlighted the significance of the amnesty program in reintegrating former rebels into society, calling the establishment of the Amnesty Board a key step in fostering national unity.
“It is a coming together of parties that have been in conflict for quite a long time,” Marcos said.
“Now that we have the Amnesty Board here, there is a mechanism in place for us to bring back into the fold of the law and into society those who opposed the state for a while, for a good long while,” he added.
The President stressed that continued collaboration between the government and former rebels is essential for long-term stability and development: “I’m very happy that we are able to finally do it again and begin that very arduous process of them assimilating back into society, those who have chosen for a while to live outside our society.”