35 ex-rebels in Northern Samar avail of cash assistance, livelihood training

From the Philippine News Agency (May 1): 35 ex-rebels in Northern Samar avail of cash assistance, livelihood training

Thirty-five former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) from this province have availed of government programs for them to live a peaceful life back in the community.

The national government, through the Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) in cooperation with the provincial government of Northern Samar provided cash assistance and livelihood training to the ex-rebels who have decided to return to the fold of law.

Recently, the rebel returnees (RRs) were given P50,000 each and were promised another counterpart from the local government unit (LGU) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) depending on the kind of firearms they have surrendered.

Prior to the giving of cash grant, the RRs were debriefed, reoriented and trained on livelihood business particularly on agriculture, animal husbandry, farming and other business of their own choice.

Meanwhile Emy Bonifacio, Samar area manager of OPPAP said that another batch of RRs from Samar’s remote town is currently being assessed if they qualify for the program. The assessment is being done in coordination with the Samar Provincial Peace and Order Council (SPPOC).

Bonifacio, however, refused to name those rebels and the town of their origin for security reasons but said the government is so concerned about the needs of these former insurgents.

“Each of them (rebels) has different stories to tell why they joined the insurgents and the pain they encountered in the mountains running from the government forces…“… but they have one thing in common - to live a normal life again,” she said. <P

Eastern Visayas region, except for the provinces of Samar and Northern Samar, was earlier declared by the Philippine Army (PA) as “insurgency-free” or “development-ready” provinces.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also listed the two provinces as “areas of concern” in the forthcoming May elections.

The 8ID, under the leadership of General Gerardo T. Layug, also continues to provide security operations in securing significant government installations and its people especially during the election period and vowed to get rid of the NPAs before 2016.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=521706