Forty-four former New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Occidental were granted P1.32 million in financial assistance by the provincial government as counterpart support to the national government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
Anna Marie Lucasan, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, said the cash grant of P30,000 per beneficiary is part of the “Balik Salig” (bring back trust) program and sourced from the Provincial Peace and Order Fund.
“The governor [Eugenio Jose Lacson] urged the beneficiaries to use their incentives wisely for their livelihood and to prioritize the vital needs of their families,” she said in an interview yesterday.
Among the 44 beneficiaries was a female ex-rebel who surrendered through the efforts of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB).
“While still in the armed struggle, we were told that if we will be arrested, the Philippine Army will harm us. However, we saw the sacrifices of the 79IB soldiers in helping us since the time we surrendered. They treated us well, they took care of us,” she said after receiving the financial assistance at the capitol.
Lt. Colonel Arnel Calaoagan, commander of the 79IB, said they remain steadfast in their mission to assist former rebels in reintegrating into society and rebuilding their lives.
“The turnover of financial assistance is just one of the many steps toward their new beginning, ensuring that they have the means to support themselves and their families,” he said.
The E-CLIP is one of the clusters under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), created by Executive Order No. 70 which was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018.
The NTF-ELCAC is tasked to “provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of the whole-of-nation approach to aid in the realization of collective aspirations for inclusive and sustainable peace.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has “made it clear” that he will not abolish the task force, according to National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya last week.
Malaya said Marcos is satisfied with the NTF-ELCAC’s success in dismantling the communist insurgency. (PNA)