THE Provincial Government of Negros Oriental, represented by Governor Roel Degamo, received at the Capitol on Monday four former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army.
Colonel Allan Martin, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, led other Army officials in escorting the former rebels to meet the governor.
Degamo, who received the rebels warmly, thanked them for showing their trust in the constitutional government by leaving the insurgency and returning to mainstream.
He assured them of financial assistance in the near future, after they have undergone proper documentation and procedures to qualify them for the Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (Clip).
Clip is designed to allow its beneficiaries to start a new life with the cash assistance given them by government.
Degamo said the program shows that the quest for peace and winning the war against insurgency cannot be attained by taking up arms alone.
The former rebels, whose names and other vital information are withheld for security reasons, are from southern Negros Oriental. They will be under the custody of the 79th IB while the Department of Social Welfare provincial office will begin their documentation, said Martin.
Martin described the latest surrenders as an indication that many members of the rebel movement are now getting tired of the hard life in the mountains. (PNA)