Cordillera rebels give up guns to Army chief, join military

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 29): Cordillera rebels give up guns to Army chief, join military

At least 58 Cordillera People's Liberation Army rebels gave up their guns and their guerrilla group and finally joined the Army contingent in the last batch of integration program embodied under Administrative Order No. 18. Welcoming them into the Army fold was Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Army chief, who visited the camp Saturday despite heavy rains. The turnover of the 58 guns and the acceptance of the Army integrees came on the day of Fr. Conrado Balweg's 13th year death anniversary.

Bautista said they finally "put a closure" to the different components of the program by allocating 58 slots for integration of the CPLA rebels into the Army Force. On Sept 13, 1986, a peace agreement between the CPLA and the government was inked in Mt. Data, Bako, Mountain Province. Subsequent talks were later undertaken that resulted in the promulgation of Executive Order No. 220 providing for the creation of the Cordillera Administrative Region with a concern to restore and maintain peace and order in the region. On Aug 31, 2001, the AO 18 was signed for the integration of 1,200 CPLA members with three program components--integration process for regular force, CAFGU and livelihood.

The administrative order earlier called for integration of at least 1,200 CPLA members, the last 58 were presented to Bautista Saturday. President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Executive Order No. 49 on July 19, 2011, mandating a closure agreement with the CPLA for final disposition of firearms in favor of the government and final integration for Army. In the early 80s, Balweg bolted the CPP-NPA and formed the CPLA.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=483321