Pro-IS terror groups excluded from Philippines's planned amnesty programme
Abu Sayyaf, BIFF, Maute Group and Hassan Group not in planned amnesty list.
MANILA: Several Filipino terror groups including those aligned with the Islamic State have been excluded from a plan for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant amnesty to rebel groups, it has been reported.
The president will soon issue a proclamation granting amnesty to members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) Kapatiran/CPLA (Cordillera People’s Liberation Army), according to a report.
This marks a significant step towards ending the country’s decades-long insurgency problem, the Manila Bulletin reported.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary, Carlito Galvez Jr., did not directly confirm if the proclamation will be issued this week, but he revealed that his office already held a final meeting with the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) on August 31 to iron out the details of the proclamation.
“The Proclamation for Amnesty is still with the OES Legal Office. We just [had] our final meeting last August 31,” Galvez told the Manila Bulletin on Sunday (Sept. 17).
Galvez said he is hoping that there would be an individual proclamation for each rebel group.
“We are expecting that the proclamation covering the MILF, MNLF, ABB Kapatiran/CPLA, and the CPP-NPA will have individual and independent proclamation similar with the previous administration’s strategy of having Amnesty Proclamation for each peace table and agreements,” Galvez was quoted as saying.
Pro-Islamic State terror outfits namely the Abu Sayyaf Group, some factions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Maute Group and Dawlah Islamiyah - Hassan Group apparently did not figure in the planned amnesty proclamation.
The OPAPRU has yet to explain the reason for the exclusion, said Manila Bulletin.
Marcos Jr. promised during his second State of the Nation Address in July to grant amnesty to rebels who surrender to the government so they can be reintegrated into mainstream society and rebuild their lives.
Once the proclamation is made, the Senate and House of Representatives must ratify the proclamation so that the amnesty programme can be implemented.