In a significant move towards peace, 150 former rebels in Samar have applied for amnesty, signaling a shift from conflict to reconciliation. The Local Amnesty Board (LAB) in Catbalogan City, Samar, has been processing these applications since late last year. Jazmine Odyssa Lutao, a representative from LAB Catbalogan, shared that 50 applicants hail from Samar, while the remaining 100 are from Northern Samar.
The Philippine Army has played a crucial role in this process, with various battalions assisting the applicants. The 87th Infantry Battalion in San Jose de Buan town has helped 23 applicants, the 46th Infantry Battalion in Calbiga has supported 21, and the 3rd Infantry Battalion in San Jorge has aided six. In Northern Samar, the 43rd Infantry Battalion in Lope de Vega town has assisted 62 applicants, and the 19th Infantry Battalion in Catubig town has facilitated the applications of 38 others.
Recent visits by LAB Catbalogan, in collaboration with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity – Amnesty Management Unit Eastern Visayas and special project teams, to Calbiga and San Jorge in Samar, have allowed for the direct collection of amnesty applications from former rebels under military supervision. During these visits, Lutao explained the government’s amnesty program and oversaw the oath of allegiance to the Philippine government taken by the applicants before their interviews.
With the Philippine National Police now having designated representatives to the local amnesty board, deliberations on these applications are set to begin. Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Proclamation 404, known as the Amnesty Program, former and current members of communist insurgent groups, including the New People’s Army, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the National Democratic Front, have until March 14, 2026, to apply for amnesty.