Military program benefits former rebels

From the Manila Bulletin (Jun 10): Military program benefits former rebels

Ormoc City, Leyte - Two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who surrendered to the folds of the law received P50,000 each, recently, a military report said.

Colonel Rafael Valencia, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade based here told reporters in an interview that the two former rebels were give financial assistance under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s Guns-For-Peace program, for in exchange for their M16 Armalite rifles surrendered to the government troops.

Valencia disclosed that the two former rebels, Romeo Managbanag 40, and Roberto Rom, 27, received their financial assistance in a ceremony held at the 78th Infantry battalion headquarters in Burauen, Leyte.

He said the former rebels have been in the movement for three years.

He added that Managbanag and Rom both told him that the financial assistance extended to them by the government will be used by them to start a business to enable them to start a new life in the social mainstream.

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