Thursday, November 19, 2015

Rebel returnee program benefits 9 rebels in Albay

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 19): Rebel returnee program benefits 9 rebels in Albay

Nine members of the New People's Army (NPA) who have surrendered to the authorities were immediately given financial assistance to start a new life during a simple program Tuesday morning at the headquarters of the 901st Infantry Brigade at Barangay Villahermosa in Daraga, Albay.

The monetary aid was provided under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The CLIP is part of the local mechanism of the AFP to achieve peace and sustainable development.

It started when the AFP, through the 9th Infantry (Spear) Division, the Philippine National Police, and the Albay provincial government entered into an agreement formally declaring the province as Manageable Conflict Area on April 23 this year.

Under the agreement, the provincial government led by Governor Joey Salceda has to address the root causes of internal security threats through the CLIP to encourage NPA rebels to surrender voluntarily, provide livelihood assistance and coordinate with different agencies of the national government to address the specific grievances of the rebel-returnees.

Salceda said CLIP is a priority program in Albay.

Under the CLIP, each rebel-returnee receives Php50,000 livelihood assistance and another Php15,000 for immediate cash assistance.

One of the rebel returnees, a certain Ka Rolex, was a former officer of Larangan 78 operating in Albay's second district under the leadership of Ka Jerry Abache a.k.a. Arwan/Bitoy.

He admitted that he took part in conducting liquidations, ambuscades, harassment of government troops, police, militia and suspected informers.

He thanked his wife and the government for all the help he received, especially from Lt. Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo, 82nd Infantry Battalion commanding officer, for taking the risk to live a new life.

"I can no longer bear the guilt I suffer on the violence I had inflicted on innocent people and I thank the Lord for this new lease on my life," the former rebel said.

Ka Rolex asked his former comrades to take advantage of the rebel-returnee program while there is still time.

"I can stop this continuing unnecessary violence if I give myself up because I still believe that evil will not triumph against a God who is good and just," he said.

Brig. Gen. Ignacio Obligacion, 9th Infantry Division deputy commanding general, said his most difficult problem as a military officer for the past 37 years was to find an effective way to convince NPA rebels to return to the fold of the law.

"It's not to finish all of you but to help you come back as members of our society," said Obligacion.

Col. Cyle Yucot, 901st Brigade commander, said there are still eight members of the Bicol Regional Party Committee and 29 NPA regulars who are operating in Albay despite the downgrading of the Larangan 77 and 78 which have been the strongest guerrilla fronts in the 90s to Kilusang Sangay sa Platon (KSPN) due to the casualties sustained in various encounters, surrender and capture of its top leaders.

"We are now focusing our effort to address the rebels' barangay-based militia and although they do not carry arms they also provide intelligence on government troop movements as well as support and accommodation of the NPA combat regulars in their area," said Yucot.

Yucot said specific grievances of NPA rebels can be addressed with the help of provincial and national government agencies.

He said the CLIP has replaced the National Reconciliation and Development Program (NRDP) in the 1980s, the National Program for Unification and Development (NPUD), and the recent Social Integration Program (SIP).

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=829040

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