03 July, 2026 (Tagum City, Davao del Norte) – The Local Amnesty Board (LAB) of Davao Chairperson Atty. Janet Grace B. Dalisay-Fabrero and Secretariat, together with National Amnesty Commissioner Atty. Jamar M. Kulayan, led the Awarding of Amnesty to FR Grantees during the Davao del Norte Province’s 4th Insurgency-Free Anniversary Celebration.

A number of people and officials celebrated this momentous achievement. Among those were Friends Rescued from Davao del Norte, Presidential Assistant Wilben M. Mayor (Office of the Presidential Assistant for Local Conflict Transformation and Peace Sustainability Cluster), Dir. Atty. Elisa D. Evangelista-Lapina (Head, LCT-Field Implementation Support Office for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao), Governor Edwin Jubahib and Vice Governor Clarice Jubahib, officials and representatives from the PLGU, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police. The welcome remarks were delivered by Davao del Norte Vice Governor Clarice. T. Jubahib. Messages were given by Undersecretary Wilben M. Mayor, PBGen. Leon Victor Z. Rosete’s representative, MGen. Alvin V. Luzon (Commander, 10th Infantry Division), and Secretary Leo T. Magno (Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority) as the keynote speaker. The program ended with Governor Jubahib’s closing remarks.

 

A significant part of the 4th Insurgency-Free Anniversary, two former rebels, Leta Ehem and Bernon Bat-ao, from Davao del Norte were awarded with their amnesty certificates and ID cards by National Amnesty Commissioner Atty. Jamar Kulayan and LAB Davao Chairperson Atty. Janet Grace B. Dalisay-Fabrero. The two amnesty grantees were among the six applicants from the LAB Davao who had already been granted amnesty; among these six applicants, three came from the Province of Davao del Norte. The NAC also gifted each of the two grantees with a bag of tokens during the awarding of amnesty. Their amnesty certificates and ID cards would no longer necessitate them to use or present their Safe Conduct Pass.

 

With smiles on their faces and light in their eyes, the two amnesty grantees were full of heartfelt joy and unwavering gratitude. Mr. Bat-ao said, “𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙤’𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙠𝙤 𝙨𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙗𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤 𝙣𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙤’𝙜 𝙖𝙢𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮 𝙪𝙜 𝙜𝙞𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙤’𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙝𝙞 𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙤 𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮𝙖, 𝙪𝙜 𝙪𝙗𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖 𝙢𝙜𝙖 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙤 𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙝𝙞 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙖𝙜𝙞 𝙨𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙗𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤, 𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙞 𝙣𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙢𝙜𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤.” Mrs. Ehem added, “𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙖𝙖𝙮𝙤 𝙨𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙝𝙖 [𝙨𝙖 𝙉𝘼𝘾] 𝙣𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙤 [𝙪𝙜 𝙖𝙢𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮] 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙙𝙞’ 𝙣𝙖 𝙟𝙪𝙙 𝙠𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙠𝙥𝙖𝙣.”

 

The granting of their amnesty is proof that amnesty plays a massive role in achieving peace, security, and order. For the grantees, amnesty is a gift that allows them to live a life that holds promise and hope no longer threatened nor thwarted by fear of the government and of society. Their application for amnesty itself is already a meaningful representation of their courage, resilience, and trust in the government and society. As one LAB Davao amnesty applicant said in an audiovisual presentation during the program, it was the AFP and PNP who rescued them, adding that he had been enlightened and now believed in the goodness of the government.

 

The awarding of amnesty is one of the testaments to the life-changing effect of bringing accessible and sustainable government programs to people. It is proof that peace is a word one can only begin to realize and understand when action exists by its side. Where there is peace and order, development prevails. In partnership with other agencies and groups, the NAC and the LAB Davao will continue being a pioneer of change to help former rebels live new and better lives not only as ordinary people, but more importantly as Filipinos.