The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) was granted authority to issue safe conduct passes, following approval from President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., to help applicants with arrest warrants access amnesty services more easily, an official bared.
“We are highly satisfied with the outcome of today’s meeting. The President approved our request for the NAC to issue safe conduct passes, which is vital because many of our applicants have arrest warrants and cannot come to our offices to file their applications,” NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said about their meeting with the President on Friday, Nov. 8.
The safe conduct pass is expected to assist individuals who are in hiding or located in remote areas, allowing them to approach NAC offices without fear of arrest.
“Because our applicants most of them have warrants of arrest. And they cannot go to our offices to file their applications,” Armamento said.
“So, our game plan is to go to them at sometimes, we cannot access them, because they are in the mountains, they are in hiding,” she added.
The NAC chief said the President also approved the creation of ten additional local amnesty boards to strengthen the NAC’s regional reach and improve service delivery.
“And then also the President approved the creation of an additional ten local amnesty boards, six in Luzon, additional two in Visayas and additional two in Mindanao,” Armamento said.
As such, President Marcos has committed to appointing a new commissioner to fill a recent vacancy, ensuring the NAC remains fully staffed to manage the expected increase in workload.
Armamento expressed gratitude to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for raising these issues before the President, underscoring the collaborative efforts to support individuals seeking amnesty, particularly those involved in insurgent groups.