Former rebels champion amnesty program, dismiss CPP’s claim of 'sham'

TACLOBAN, Philippines — For the many ex-combatants lining up at the Tacloban City amnesty hearings, the process is more than just paperwork; it is a clean break from fear and uncertainty. 

"Ang pagbigay amnestiya sa mga balik loob ay malaking tulong para maging panatag ang kanilang buhay at kabuhayan na walang kinatatakutan maliban lang sa CPP-NPA-NDF na kanilang tinalikuran," said Rialyn J. Basada, former secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippine's Subregional Command "Sesame" in Eastern Visayas. [Granting amnesty to former rebels is a significant help in making their lives and livelihoods secure, without fear—except from the CPP-NPA-NDF which they have already renounced.]

But Rialyn's old organization sees it differently. The CPP, in a statement on July 14, denounced the ongoing amnesty hearings in Tacloban City as a "big sham" and a “moneymaking scheme” by the Marcos administration. The group accused the Marcos government, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) of profiting from the supposed “recycling” of "surrenderees." 

"Ang AFP, PNP at LGU may file sa mga nagsurender. Paano nasabi ng CPP na recycled? Kasi batay sa karanasan ko, hindi pwedeng doble-doble kasi may COA [Commission on Audit]. Lahat din ng surrendered ay bina-validate ng kapwa surrendered," said Rialyn. [The AFP, PNP, and LGUs have files for those who surrendered. So how can the CPP claim they are recycled? Based on my experience, duplication isn’t possible because COA is there. Every person who surrendered is also validated by fellow surrenderers.]

Rialyn also pointed out that aside from the amnesty program, former rebels are being given the "space" for reintegration. "Ang mga tulong pinansyal, pabahay, at marami pang iba; na binibigay ng gobyerno ay malaking tulong at nararapat lang maibigay sa mga balik-loob para sila makapagsimula na marangal kasama ang kanilang pamilya," she added. [The financial assistance, housing, and many other forms of support provided by the government are a significant help and rightfully should be given to former rebels so that they can start anew with dignity, together with their families.]

Serving the people doesn’t require a gun

Alma Gabin, former deputy secretary for education of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) and now President of the Eastern Visayas Peace and Development Forum (EVPBDF), condemned the CPP’s remarks as “another anti-peace mantra" and "an expression of being isolated from the masses."

Responding to the CPP's claim that the amnesty program "violates fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law" because surrenders are made to recount “personal accounts” and “renounce armed struggle," Gabin said, "applicants are not made to abandon their political belief! They voluntarily declared to abandon armed struggle.”

She emphasized that her organization works on helping solve the people’s issues, such poverty, land disputes, and economic upliftment, without bearing arms. “Serving the people doesn’t require armed struggle,” she asserted.

Peace or propaganda?

In several statements in the past months, the CPP has branded former rebels like Alma and Rialyn as “traitors of the masses.” But former rebels say this "name-calling" by their former organizations fails to acknowledge their legitimate experiences and reasons for returning to civilian life. 

"Ang pahayag nila ay nangangahulugan na nahihirapan na ang Partido dahil sa nagbubunga na ginagawa ng gobyerno sa pagresolba ng armadong tunggalian," Rialyn surmised. [Their statement implies that the Party is already struggling because the efforts of the government in resolving the armed conflict are bearing fruit.]

Alma was more straightforward: "Enough with your anti-peace propaganda! Let the masses decide." She said that the CPP dismisses the amnesty as a sham not because it lacks substance, but because it poses a serious threat to their dwindling support base and weakening armed units.

With more hearings and reintegration efforts underway, former rebel groups like Alma and Rialyn's organization maintain that the amnesty program is ultimately for their benefit—providing a real opportunity to rebuild their lives. 

"Mas maganda ang kahihinatnan sa pagbabalik-loob kaysa makigka-patayan duon sa bundok na hindi mo na masisilayan ang iyong mga mahal sa buhay na naghihintay sa iyong pagbabalik," Rialyn said. [Returning to the fold leads to a better future than engaging in deadly conflict in the mountains, where you may never see your loved ones who are yearning for your return.]