The national government has released PHP7.82 million in financial assistance to former rebels in Eastern Visayas from 2019 to early 2020, indicating the sincerity of the national government to convince enemies to return to the fold of the law, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

A total of 290 former rebels received PHP4.33 immediate assistance, PHP2.25 million livelihood assistance, and PHP1.24 million firearms remuneration said DILG Regional Director Artemio Caneja.

The government held several ceremonies to distribute the financial grant. The biggest gathering was last January 22 in San Isidro, Leyte where President Rodrigo Duterte led the distribution of cash to 262 former rebels.

Former rebels are also entitled to housing grants from the National Housing Authority. A series of skills training have been lined up for them.

All the 290 former rebels received immediate assistance of PHP15,000 each. Forty five of them are beneficiaries of PHP50,000 livelihood assistance, and 12 are recipients of compensation for turning over firearms. The amount varies depending on the type of firearms surrendered.

Of those who surrendered, 46 were New People’s Army (NPA) fighters and 244 are members of Militia ng Bayan (MB).

MB members are individuals who have been indoctrinated by the communist terrorist group and may or may not be directly involved in violent armed struggle. When organized, they can provide mass support to the “revolutionary movement” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), NPA, and National Democratic Front (NDF).

“Through financial grants, ex-rebels are given an opportunity to improve the quality of their lives, especially through livelihood financial assistance. This is also to encourage to abandon the communist ideology and be productive citizens,” Caneja told the Philippine News Agency on Monday.

The assistance package is under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to support efforts of finally ending the local communist armed conflict in the country.

E-CLIP provides a complete package of assistance to former rebels who were members of the CPP, NPA, and NDF, as well as their family members, who have surrendered to the government to abandon armed struggle and become productive members of the society.

This is just one of the clusters of the “whole-of-nation approach” which aims to address the root causes of insurgencies and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order 70 in December 2018 to institutionalize a “whole-of-nation approach” policy in attaining peace and end the long-time conflict between the government and the communist group. (PNA)