31 former NPA rebels received financial assistance

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 29, 2019): 31 former NPA rebels received financial assistance

Thirty-one former communist-New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Southern Mindanao received financial support from the government, said 1st Lt. Jessie P. Hinampas, Civil-Military Operations (CMO) officer of the Army’s 73rd Infantry (Neutralizer) Battalion (73rd IB), on Tuesday.

In a statement sent to The Manila Bulletin, the 73rd CMO Officer said the former rebels received financial assistance, not only from the national government but also from the provincial government of Davao Occidental.

These former rebels who recently voluntarily gave up to the command group of 73rd IB, were members of the CPP-NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, he said.

The former rebels received a total amount of ₱615,000.00 immediate assistance, livelihood assistance and firearms remunerations from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and Provincial Assistance from the province of Davao Occidental during the 44thAraw ng Davao Occidental Governor’s Night held at Agri-Trade Center, Barangay Felis, Malita, Davao Occidental on Monday(Oct. 28).

E-CLIP is a national program of the government that seeks to contribute toward achieving the goal of permanent and peaceful closure of armed conflicts and non-state armed groups, particularly the NPA’s

In the awarding ceremony, members of E-CLIP Committee, Provincial Director Debie T. Torres of DILG, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office Officer Esterlita B. Hermosisima, RSW, and 73rd IB commander Lt. Col. Ronaldo G. Valdez handed-in checks to three) former NPA regular fighters amounting to ₱15,000.00 each as cash assistance, ₱50,000.00 each for livelihood, and a total of ₱140,000.00 for firearms remuneration.

Meanwhile, the other 28 former rebels were awarded with provincial assistance worth ₱10,000.00 each.

This is one of the positive impacts of the “Balik-Loob Program” in line with President Duterte’s Whole-of-Nation Approach under executive number 70 to attain exclusive and sustainable peace by creating a national task force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), also said Lt. Col. Valdez, in the same statement sent to The Manila Bulletin on Tuesday.

“We are calling other remaining NPAs who are still in the mountains to come down and avail the government’s, peace, development, and livelihood program,” added the 73rd IB commander.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/29/31-former-npa-rebels-received-financial-assistance/