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Bohol ELCAC task force urges former rebels to apply for amnesty

 

ELCAC Bohol coordinator Romeo Teruel asking relatives of former rebels to convince their family members who left the underground movement to avail of the government’s amnesty program now that there is a  Local Amnesty Board (LAB) in Bohol.  (PIA Bohol)


TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) – The Legal Cluster of the Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in the province is urging former rebels to apply for Presidential Amnesty, especially now that a Local Amnesty Board (LAB) office has opened in Bohol. 

According to ELCAC Bohol coordinator Romeo Teruel, rebels who left the underground movement may apply for the government’s amnesty program to extinguish their criminal liability for acts committed in pursuit of political beliefs. 

“These people have one option to be cleared of their crimes done in pursuit of their political beliefs – get an amnesty,” said Teruel. 

Former rebels or members of a guerilla front organization who have a pending case in court can avail of the amnesty offered by the government. 

Section 5 of the Amnesty Implementing Rules states that applications for the grant of amnesty shall be filed within two years: from March 4, 2024, to March 4, 2026 for crimes committed before Nov. 22, 2023. 

Members of the ELCAC Legal Cluster here appealed to relatives of former rebels to convince their family members who left the underground armed movement to avail of the amnesty offered by the government. 

“If you happen to know any of these people, tell them that the government is willing to help them clear their names,” said Carmelita Tecson, Bohol provincial social welfare and development officer and Task Force ELCAC member. 

Without the amnesty, rebel returnees who are willing to go back to the mainstream are at risk of being apprehended or issued arrest warrants for crimes committed during their time as armed men in the underground movement.

LAB in Bohol

The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) opened a LAB in Bohol on Feb. 11, in time for the 15th anniversary celebration of the Provincial Day of Peace here. 

The LAB acts as the liaison between the community and NAC in processing amnesty applications for the former rebels who have decided to return to the folds of the law. 

Under Presidential Proc. No. 404, which grants amnesty to members of the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and their front organizations, the amnesty cover offenses such as rebellion or insurrection, conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion, disloyalty of public officials, inciting to rebellion, conspiracy to commit sedition, and inciting to sedition.

The amnesty also covers offenses such as illegal assembly, illegal association, direct assault, indirect assault, resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or its agents, tumults and other disturbances of public order, unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances, alarms and scandals, and illegal possession of firearms, ammunition or explosives provided that these crimes or offense were committed “in furtherance of, incident to, or in connection with the crimes of rebellion or insurrection.”

Also covered are those charged, detained or convicted of common crimes but who can establish by substantial evidence that they have committed said crimes in pursuit of political beliefs.  (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)

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