Some members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) have expressed their wish for the granting of blanket amnesty to former Moro rebel groups who signed peace deals with the government. This wish was made during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.
BTA Parliament Deputy Floor Leader Mary Ann Arnado stated that granting blanket amnesty would not only provide the former Moro rebels with a fresh start in life but would also align with the administration’s call for unity while safeguarding the gains of the peace process.
However, some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) missed the January 24 deadline for amnesty application. The MILF’s peace deal with the government in 2014 led to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), while the MNLF signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996.
In light of this, several BTA members called on President Marcos Jr. to issue another proclamation to extend the amnesty period. Arnado appealed to the President to discuss the extension and implementation of the amnesty program for both Moro fronts during his SONA.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Lanang Ali Jr. also urged the President to extend the application for amnesty for MILF and MNLF members, as the deadline had already passed in January this year. He emphasized that granting amnesty would help sustain the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.
The amnesty for former MILF and MNLF rebels was covered by Proclamations 1090 and 1091, which were issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2021 and concurred by the House of Representatives and the Senate on January 24 last year. However, since these proclamations had a lifespan of one year, those who missed the January 24 deadline would have to await a possible extension before they could apply for amnesty.
Leah Tanodra-Armamento, the Chairperson of the National Amnesty Commission, welcomed the call to extend the application period. However, she clarified that the existing proclamations only covered individual members of the MNLF or MILF who committed crimes specified under the Revised Penal Code or special laws. Acts not enumerated under the law were not covered by the amnesty.
The BTA’s mandate, as the interim body governing the Bangsamoro region during the transition period, will end on June 30, 2025, when the first set of elected Parliament officials take office. One of the tasks to complete during this transition period is the amnesty for former Moro rebels, which falls under the normalization aspect of the peace process.
In summary, some members of the BTA are calling for the granting of blanket amnesty to former Moro rebels who signed peace deals with the government. They have appealed to President Marcos Jr. to extend the application period, as some individuals missed the January 24 deadline. The amnesty was originally covered by proclamations issued by former President Duterte, but an extension is necessary for those who did not meet the deadline. The BTA members believe that granting amnesty will help sustain the gains of the peace process in the Bangsamoro region.
