30 more NPA rebel returnees get P.600-M cash assistance
LUCENA CITY, Dec. 25 – Thirty more New People's Army (NPA) rebels operating in Southern Tagalog who have returned to the fold of the law, got P20,000 each or a total of P600,000 as immediate cash assistance of the government to help former guerillas start a new life.
Undersecretary Pedro Cezar C. Ramboanga, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), together with Quezon Governor Rafael P. Nantes turned over the cash assistance to the erstwhile rebels at the awarding ceremony held at the Quezon National Agricultural School (QNAS) along Marikina Highway, Malicboy, Pagbilao in Quezon Province recently.
The rebel returnee program handled by OPAPP under Presidential Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. continued to gain momentum as more NPA rebels in various parts of the country have opted to surrender to start life anew with the government extending assistance to them.
In October and November this year, at least 60 NPA rebels surrendered in Mindanao with the government providing them livelihood assistance amounting to P2.45 million for 49 guerillas in Davao and 11 others who got eight hectares of farmland and farm implements, including tractors in Agusan del Sur.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. vowed that government livelihood program for ex-rebels will continue. He said this is part of the reintegration program of the government.
During the turnover program here, SIP Action Officer for Region IV and V Charleston Tan, action officer of the Social Integration Program (SIP) for Regions IV and V, said that aside from the P20,000 immediate cash grant, the former rebels will also receive an increased remuneration for surrendered firearms, explosives and ammunition.
An NPA guerilla who surrendered his M-16 assault rifle will be paid P50,000 by the government, Esperon said. This is in addition to the P20,000 cash assistance, he added.
Esperon said a former NPA who wish to start a small business of his own will get another P50,000 or a grand total of P120,000.
Maj. Gen Roland M. Detabali, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and other representatives of various government line agencies attended the ceremony.
Other government agencies and institutions have converged in this program to provide additional support to the former rebels and their families. These include livelihood skills development, job placement, educational assistance, health services, and access to basic social services.
The Social Integration Program was created by virtue of Administrative Order No. 172, signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 23, 2007. Known as the enhanced rebel returnee program, the SIP is aimed at providing former rebels a set of interventions to facilitate their integration into the mainstream of society. (PNA)
Source: http://balita.ph/2008/12/25