Friday, November 13, 2020

Former Antique rebels envision better lives

From Panay News (Nov 14, 2020): Former Antique rebels envision better lives


Former rebel “Niña” (identity hidden for security reasons) thanks the government for giving her support, during a recent program in San Jose, Antique. PIA PHOTO

SAN JOSE, Antique – Rebels in Antique who decided to return to the fold of the law envision a better life through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) mandated under Executive Order No. 70 (Whole of Nation Approach to End Local Communist and Armed Conflict or ELCAC) of the national government.

One surrenderer, “Niña”, expressed gratitude to the government for giving her and other companions support during a recent program in this capital town welcoming them.

“Hindi namin inaasahan na ganito ang pagtanggap ng gobyerno sa amin,” she said in Filipino, expressing how thankful they were to receive financial assistance, including food-for-work livelihood, and skills training under various agencies of the government.

She encouraged rebels still in the mountains to lay down their arms and join them.

Gov. Rhodora Cadiao assured the former rebels that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to support them until they are fully integrated in the community.


Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of Antique assures former rebels of her support to ensure they are fully integrated to the community. Also in photo is Police Colonel Roy Parena, Antique police director. PIA PHOTO

For his part, Police Colonel Roy Parena, Antique police director, said they were happy to welcome the former rebels, noting that the government aims peace and development in the country in general, and Antique in particular.

On part of the Legal Cooperation Cluster ELCAC-Region 6, Associate Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzalez lauded the provincial government of Antique for collectively gathering the resources of local government units and national government agencies to support the rebel returnees.

He said the rebels were encouraged to return to the fold of the law due to the immediate response of the ELCAC Task Force in Antique.

Way back in June, 12 members of the New People’s Army surrendered; eight in September and six this November under the ECLIP program.

In Region 6, about 124 rebels have surrendered under the ECLIP program alone, according to Gonzalez.

Other surrenderers yielded under the Kapatiran and PAMANA programs of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The Task Force ELCAC in the province was lodged at the Office of the Peace and Order and Public Safety under the leadership of Margie L. Gadian as the secretariat. with various agencies leading the different clusters.

The ELCAC intervention was not only for former rebels but communities as well which are vulnerable to local communist and armed conflict.

Cadiao said the insurgency starts where the government intervention ends, thus her administration is fully supporting development programs to reach far-flung and geographically isolated communities.

For now, local governments, peacekeeping officers and agencies involved in the ECLIP for former rebels are in the process of completing documents so that sustainable intervention is ensured for “Niña” and 25 other comrades.

The goal is to successfully integrate them back to the community and make them self-reliant. (PIA-Antique)

http://www.panaynews.net/former-antique-rebels-envision-better-lives/

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