ACT-Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (Facebook)

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro has questioned the sincerity of the Marcos administration's plan to offer amnesty to rebel fighters, including members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). 

In a statement on Monday, Sept. 18, Castro--a member of the militant Makabayan bloc--described similar amnesty offers in the past as being motivated by money, and not the pursuit of peace. 

"Dati na namang inooffer ang amnesty sa mga rebelde pero ang nangyayari ay nagiging money making-scheme lang ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines)," said Castro, a deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives. 

(Amnesties have been offered to rebels before but what has happened is it becomes a money-making scheme of the AFP.) 

But how is it a money-making scheme? As per a Makabayan bloc source, AFP officials earn a profit or "cut" via the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) for every individual that they convince to surrender. 

"Kaya ang dami supposedly ng surrenderees, pero nirerecyxle lang nila para palaging may cut (It looks like there are many surrenderees, but these people are actually recycled in order to facilitate more cuts)," the source said.

Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc have long been calling for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). She said this was still the best recourse of the Marcos administration. 

"Unless the roots of the armed conflict are addressed, amnesty offers to rebels will not prosper because majority of the people are still mired in poverty and the reason to rebel are still present," she said. 

It was during President Marcos' second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July when he promised to grant amnesty to rebels who would choose to surrender and have themselves reintegrated into mainstream society. 

"If he (President Marcos) is truly sincere in wanting peace, then he should reopen the peace negotiations with the NDFP," noted Castro. 

The NDFP is the negotiating arm of the CPP. The NPA is its military wing. 

The bloody insurgency problem in the Philippines has raged on for around 60 years.