144 former CPLA members apply for integration to AFP

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 16): 144 former CPLA members apply for integration to AFP

One hundred forty-four former Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) members and their dependents have applied for integration to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Col. Roger Salvador, commanding officer of the 501st Infantry Brigade, said the applicants are mostly dependents of former CPLA fighters. He said they are now processing their applications at Camp Upi in Gamu, Isabela. “Their training will start upon release of funds from the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP),” Salvador said, adding, “ this is a special training separate from the regular AFP quota.”

He said the standard qualifications for soldier-candidates shall apply – 18-24 years old, at least high school graduate, pass the AFP battery test, at least 5’2” in height, physically and mentally fit. “They will be trained at the 5th Infantry Division’s Camp Melchor Dela Crus, Upi, Gamu, Isabela for six months,” he said.

These recruits, Salvador said, came from the Arsenio Humiding group, now known as the Cordillera Forum on Peace and Development, and Michael Sugguiyao Jr. group, the original Conrado Balweg comrades.

The integration of these former combatants into the AFP fulfills a commitment of the government's memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the CBA-CPLA that calls for the group's disposition of arms and forces and provides for development projects in their areas. It also completes the provision of Executive Order 49 mandating the AFP to lead the process of winding down the group's army integration as guided by Administrative Order 18.

It can be recalled that AO 18 signed in 2001 set out the first wave of integration of 164 CPLA members into the armed forces.  To jumpstart the integration, the former rebels underwent a two-month candidate soldier course and a 45-day specialization training. They will then be deployed to areas under the watch of the 5ID as part of the training. The final stage of the integration process is the incorporation of the new soldiers into the tactical units of the military.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=171358304275