Ceasefire unlikely but gov’t ready to aid rebel returnees: DILG

File: DILG Secretary Eduardo Año. (Photo By Joey Razon/Wikimedia commons, Public Domain)

MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is not inclined to recommend a ceasefire with communist rebels this Christmas season.

“No. I will not recommend a ceasefire. But we can give lasting change by welcoming those who will return to the fold of the law and start a new life,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told reporters Tuesday.

Año’s remarks was in response to reports that he and other government officials are targeted by the communist front groups for leading President Rodrigo Duterte’s counterinsurgency program.

He said the government would instead provide all benefits and opportunities for rebel returnees for them to become productive citizens.

Año earlier said the Duterte administration has fulfilled its promise of a better life for former CPP-NPA members who have laid down their arms as a total of PHP171.6 million in financial assistance package have been released to 2,882 rebel surrenderers under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) from July 2018 to November 2019.

Based on the data of the DILG-National Barangay Operations Office, of the 2,882 surrenderers, 2,635 were granted immediate assistance — 1,788 for livelihood assistance and 655 firearms remuneration amounting to PHP171.6-million through E-CLIP from July 2018 to November 2019.

“The CPP and NPA are now hurting as its ranks have been decimated by the huge number of surrenderers since July last year. Isa lang itong patunay na wala na silang kredibilidad at hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay maloloko nila ang mga tao (This only proves that they no longer have credibility and they cannot fool the people at all times),” the Interior Secretary said.

E-CLIP is a peace-building and social protection program that provides interventions to former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and Militia ng Bayan (MB) in becoming productive citizens of society.

DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said millions of pesos have been earmarked to ensure that the former rebels are able to transition to normalcy with ease and most importantly their needs and livelihood are prioritized.

He said that in the General Appropriations Act of 2020, a total of PHP260-million fund for E-CLIP was earmarked “to further the cause of encouraging current rebels to renounce their lives as enemies of the state and live a normal life.

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Under the E-CLIP grant, former rebels or their qualified beneficiaries are entitled to benefits ranging from guaranteed safety and security; monetary assistance such as a PHP50,000 as livelihood assistance, PHP21,000 for meals cost while a surrenderer is in the custody of Receiving Unit and other expenses, and PHP15,000 per former rebel for mobilization expenses; and firearms remuneration amounting to the value of turned-in firearms, among others.

“E-CLIP will be here to assist rebels who want to change the story of their lives, those who want to abandon the hostility of armed conflicts. Hindi kayo pababayaan ng inyong pamahalaan (Your government will never neglect you),” said Malaya.

Malaya said despite the government’s successes in capturing terrorists and aiding rebel surrenderers, “education and ensuring that the services of the government reach the fringes of the society down to the far-flung areas” are still the potent mechanisms to fight communist terrorist groups (CTGs) in the country.

He said that recruitments of CTGs target the most vulnerable sectors, the ones that the government is finding hard to reach which can be countered by education and awareness coupled with consistent government services by means of programs such as the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP).

RCSP is the primary program in line with the government’s effort at the grassroots level to combat the activities of the CTGs which is focused on socio-economic and cultural problems.

He explained that the RCSP is an inclusive program that is addressing identified issues of the community by closing the governance and development gaps through the provision of needed government programs and projects.

Meanwhile, Malaya also said that in line with the RCSP, Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD) was simultaneously launched in various cities in Metro Manila last Nov. 19 to implement RCSP in areas identified as “white area”, or urban cities where CTGs focus their propaganda against the government.

“CUCPD is programmed to counter propaganda, halt recruitment, and promote national healing through development-oriented programs for various sectors like the urban poor, students, and professionals,” he noted.

In the past years, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) usually announce a unilateral ceasefire during the holiday season, which coincides with the anniversary of its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) on December 26.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has ordered all police units to be on alert for possible attacks.

“Sa ngayon ay tuluy-tuloy ang ating mga law enforcement operations. Ang lahat na may mga standing warrants of arrest ay patuloy natin tinutugis at hinahanap upang sila po ay mapanagot sa batas at dalhin sa korte upang harapin ang kanilang mga kaso (For now our law enforcement operations are continuous. We continue to pursue those who have standing warrants of arrest for them face the charges against them before the court),” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac told reporters.

The CPP-NPA has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.