Watch more News on iWantTFC

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos offered rebel returnees amnesty and asked for congressional support during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

He said insurgents' armed struggle in the Philippines has "evolved" towards "peace and development".

"Through community development and livelihood programs, the Barangay Development and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Programs have been effective in addressing the root cause of conflict in the countryside," Marcos said.

"To complete this reintegration process, I will issue a Proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees, and I ask Congress to support me in this endeavor," he added.

The Philippine military said earlier this month that only one out of 89 known guerrilla fronts of the New People's Army (NPA) remains active in the country.

As of July, only some 1,800 communist rebels are still bearing arms, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar told reporters.

The Philippines has the world's longest communist insurgency, which has been going on for more than five decades since the late Jose Maria Sison founded the CPP in 1968.

• AFP: Only one active NPA guerrilla front remaining in Philippines

BARMM PEACE PROGRESS

Marcos, meanwhile, highlighted the progress in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

"It (BARMM) will be self-governing, it will be progressive, and it will be effective. But this was only made possible because of the cooperation of all key groups," he said.

"We talked to the local governments, the royal families. The (Moro National Liberation Front) and the (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) were all consulted and represented in this transition phase," he added.

"The international community has also supported us in this smooth transition. Former adversaries are now partners in peace. Its functions have been defined, and its basic laws are now being written."

Marcos said that "through the BARMM, we have strengthened the nation’s prospects for finally achieving sustainable progress anchored on a true and lasting peace in Southern Philippines."

Since BARMM was established in 2019, more than 20,000 former MILF combatants have been disarmed through the decommissioning process.

But some of the former militants fear that they may one day be apprehended and imprisoned due to pending cases.

Before the SONA, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim urged Marcos to tackle developments on the amnesty and decommissioning of former MILF members during the SONA.

• BARMM chief urges Marcos to tackle MILF amnesty in 2nd SONA