17 former rebels in Leyte get financial aid

A total of 17 former communist rebels have accepted financial assistance from the government to enable them to start peaceful lives.

Capt. Gene Orense, spokesman of the Army’s 8th division, said the financial package was distributed Friday at the local social welfare office in Jaro, Leyte.

The assistance was provided by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to reintegrate the former insurgents into mainstream society.

“The former rebels received P50,000 each to start a livelihood and their livelihood projects shall be monitored regularly by the OPAPP and other concerned agencies,” Orense said in a statement.

Orense said certificates were also distributed to former communist rebels who had undergone livelihood training administered by the 19th Infantry Battalion and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development.

The package to be given to the beneficiaries would depend on their choice and the type of livelihood they can sustain.

Col. Dinoh Dolina, deputy commander of the Army’s 802nd brigade, said they would find ways to grant additional financial assistance to former rebels who would voluntarily surrender with their firearms.

“We further encourage the community, especially the families of the NPA (New People’s Army) rebels, to help the government convince them to lay down their arms, avail the local social integration program of the government and live a normal life,” said Maj. Gen. Gerardo Layug, chief of the Army’s 8th division.

There are about 4,000 communist rebels nationwide. – Alexis Romero