TWENTY-THREE former rebels, locally referred to as “Friends Rescued,” received Safe Conduct Passes from the Local Amnesty Board of Davao (LAB-Davao) during a distribution activity on Sept. 2 at Kalinaw Village in Davao City.
Eight former rebels personally received their passes during the activity, while 15 others from Paquibato District who could not attend were also issued the documents, according to the National Amnesty Commission (NAC).
In a separate advisory, Davao City Peace 911 said nine beneficiaries under the city’s care received their documentation during the event.
The passes give qualified applicants temporary legal protection while authorities review their amnesty applications. They protect beneficiaries from arrest, detention, or prosecution as they complete the requirements of the amnesty process.
Representatives from LAB-Davao, the City Social Welfare and Development Office, and Peace 911 facilitated the distribution and briefed the beneficiaries on the process.
During an orientation on the national amnesty framework, LAB-Davao Peace Program Officer III Cris Gaerlan explained that although the application period has closed, authorities continue to process applications already submitted.
Gaerlan said applications go through a thorough, multistage review by various panels before the board makes its final deliberations, a process that can take time.
He said the safe conduct passes give applicants security while they wait for the outcome of the review.
Gaerlan also said authorities could eventually extend the application period to allow more former combatants to apply.
Local officials urged the beneficiaries to remain hopeful as city agencies continue providing community-based assistance to help them transition into civilian life.
Regional amnesty effort
The distribution forms part of a broader regional effort to support the government’s amnesty program following the close of the application period under Proclamation No. 404.
The national program allowed former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to seek amnesty for offenses committed in pursuit of their political beliefs.
When the two-year filing period ended March 13, 2026, a total of 623 former rebels across the Davao Region had submitted applications.
Local government units, military commands, and agencies including the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and Peace 911 supported the applicants through legal workshops and other assistance.
The efforts included helping former combatants, including members of Indigenous Peoples communities, navigate the amnesty process and work toward clearing their legal records as they rebuild their lives as civilians. GRS
