ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat – Livelihood is not the only assistance waiting for rebel returnees, but also safety and security guarantees as well.
Sultan Kudarat Gov. Pax Mangudadatu gave this assurance to four communist rebels presented to the provincial government by the military Sunday, where the former New People’s Army (NPA) members also turned over four firearms.
Lt. Colonel Lauro Oliveros, the commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, said the NPA rebel returnees belonged to the NPA Guerilla Front 73.
Oliveros said the rebels decided to turn themselves in after experiencing difficulties in running away from government forces.
“Most of the time they move from one place to another to avoid contact with government troops in the mountains of Esperanza town,” the military official said.
For his part, Gov. Mangudadatu said the financial assistance to the former rebels under the government’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) will also free Technical Vocational Educational Training (TVET) courses.
Above all, Mangudadatu said the security guarantees provided by the government to former NPA rebels will allow them to peacefully start their new life as law-abiding citizens. (PNA)
