225 NPA rebels return to normal life
Two-hundred twenty five more of the country's rebels have given up the armed struggle and opted to return to normal life with the livelihood assistance extended to them by the government from June to December 2008.
This was reported by Alvin Ebreo, Social Integration Program (SIP) Sr. Action Officer in the Visayas of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) during the first gathering of the members of the Regional Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) Convergence Group in Region VI for this year. The RKCG is chaired by Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Dr. Raul Banas.
Ebreo said the 225 former rebels of the New People' s Army have received P20,000 each or a total of P4.5 million cash assistance from the Social Integration program of the government.
Created by virtue of Administrative Order No. 172 which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last March 23, 2007, the SIP aims to provide former rebels a set of interventions to facilitate their integration into the mainstream of society.
The program also provides increased remuneration for surrendered firearms, explosives and ammunitions. The government pay P50,000 for surrendered M-16 rifle while lower caliber firearms gets lesser remuneration.
Of the 225 former rebels, reported Ebreo, 149 have received the additional remuneration for their surrendered firearms.
From June to December last year, 99 of the rebels who surrendered were from Mindanao, 68 from Luzon and 58 from the Visayas.
They came particularly from Davao, Saranggani, Agusan del Sur, Northern Leyte, Negros Occidental, Quezon, Kalinga, Tarlac and Aurora.
During the same period, Davao had the most number of rebels who surrendered with 45 returnees, 38 of them with firearms.
Aside from the immediate assistance allowance, former rebels are also provided access to economic and social opportunities that includes capability building and skills training, livelihood and employment opportunities and educational assistance under the socio-economic intervention of the program.
The National Committee on Social Integration under the OPAPP was tasked to lead in the implementation of the program. (PIA)