(Eagle News) — More than 230 rebels and supporters of the New People’s Army recently returned to the fold of law because of localized peace talks, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said that these former rebels and supporters of the New People’s Army pledged their loyalty to the government from February 22 to 25 largely because of efforts of local peace and order councils.
Before that, he said two groups of supporters of NPA rebels also pledged their support for the government, after renouncing their loyalty to the communist rebel group.
The 79th Infantry Battalion facilitated the conduct of the oath of allegiance of the two groups in two cities in northern Negros.
“Dahil sa sipag at pagpupursigi ng ating mga local officials, natanggal na ang kaliskis sa mga mata ng mga dating rebelde at naliwanagan na sila na walang saysay at kabuluhan ang kanilang ipinaglalaban,” he said.
-Cash assistance for rebel returnees-
Immediate cash assistance were offered to the rebel returnees and their immediate family members under the DILG’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
Under E-CLIP, former rebels (FRs) are provided with P15,000 immediate cash assistance, P50,000 livelihood assistance, firearms compensation, psycho-social support, skills training, shelter, and other forms of help such as legal, employment and medical assistance.
Ano said that the most recent batch of former NPA rebels and supporters numbered 114. They pledged their loyalty to the government in a ceremony held in Bacolod City last February 25.
The former rebels were residents of Barangays Quezon, Guadalupe, Buluangan, Nataban, and Cod-cod.
Last February 22, 80 former members and mass supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA pledged loyalty to the government in Victorias City.
They are from Barangays Estado and Gawahon in Victorias City; Caduhaan in Cadiz City; Canlusong in EB Magalona; and San Pablo in Manapla.
The following day, 35 persons from Escalante City also expressed their loyalty to the Philippine government.
They included residents of Binaguiohan, Pinapugasan, Paitan, and Dian-ay, who took their oath of allegiance before Pastor Morito Panadero at the battalion’s headquarters in Barangay Bato, Sagay City.
“Bukas ang pinto ng pamahalaan para sa mga rebelde na nais nang magbagong buhay at makipagtulungan sa gobyerno na tahakin ang landas ng pagbabago. Hindi pa huli ang lahat para sa inyo,” said Año.
-More NPA rebels to surrender because of localized peace talks – Año
According to the DILG Secretary, the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict by President Duterte will also lead to more rebel surrenders because of its focus on localized peace engagements.
“Buong puwersa na ng pamahalaan ang magtutulungan para tuldukan ang komunismo at terorismo sa bansa kaya sa mga kampon ni Joma Sison, tumiwalag na kayo sa inyong paniniwala at maging katuwang ng pamahalaan sa pagtataguyod ng ating bansa,” he says.
The DILG has already disbursed around P488 million for the cash assistance program, Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), for rebel returnees in 2018.
E-CLIP is one of the main components of the interagency Task Force Balik Loob Program that serves as the central coordinating body in supervising the government’s reintegration efforts for the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their immediate family members.
