AFP eyes amnesty for Reds amid final push to end communist insurgency

From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 27, 2023): AFP eyes amnesty for Reds amid final push to end communist insurgency (By AARON RECUENCO)

Gen. Andres Centino, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), has expressed support for the granting of amnesty to all communist rebels in a bid to finally end the decades-long armed conflict in the country.

In a statement, Centino said there are a number of New People’s Army (NPA) fighters who are discouraged to surrender due to the criminal charges filed against them during the course of their armed struggle.

“Some members of the New People’s Army (NPA) are quite apprehensive about surrendering because of their pending cases in court,” said Centino during his interview on the “Balik-Loob sa Pagbabago” program of Task Force Balik-Loob on Thursday, April 27.

“I have advocated that other approaches of the government in dealing with insurgency should be considered, such as the granting of the amnesty,” he added.

Based on the military intelligence reports, the strength of the NPA in the country is now only around 2,000—from its peak of over 25,000 during the 1980s.

The same reports disclosed that the NPA fighters in the country are allegedly demoralized due to the vacuum of leadership following the death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison late last year.

The supposed replacements, couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, died in the clashes with the military in the Visayas.

“Their presence is only in a few remaining areas in the country, and that is where our focus is. We are confident that it will not take long before their force is reduced to a minimum,” said Centino.

Since the Duterte administration, the national government opted for localized peace talks through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). The agency, however, became controversial over red-tagging allegations.

The localized peace talks is reinforced with Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), a reintegration program of government that seeks to effect social healing and national unity through a whole-of-nation approach towards the higher objective of lasting peace.

It provides social equity to former members of the NPA by providing assistance in their reintegration process into mainstream society.

Centino then encouraged the remaining active members of the armed rebel groups to return to the fold of the law and mainstream society, saying that the AFP has been the catalyst in harnessing the collective efforts of the government and other agencies that aimed to put an end to insurgency in the country.

He also urged Filipinos to accept the former rebels, also called “friends rescued,” in their community and give them fair treatment and support, so they can easily adjust in their new life back in the mainstream society.

“By achieving the goal of really creating an environment of enduring peace, I think that will be the victory of the Filipino people. Then we will have progress and development that we, for so long, deserve. With peace, there is progress,” said Centino.

The CPP-NPA has been waging more than five decades of armed struggle against the government, one of the longest in the world. Efforts for peace talks repeatedly bogged down due to differences on the conditions set by the CPP-NPA.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/27/afp-eyes-amnesty-for-reds-amid-final-push-to-end-communist-insurgency