Peace council seeks inclusion of ex-rebels in skills training

TACLOBAN CITY, June 20 -- The Eastern Visayas Regional and Peace and Order Council (RPOC) asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to consider giving assistance not only to drug surrenderers but also to former communist rebels.

RPOC Chairperson and Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said supporting the reintegration of former New People’s Army to the community is one of the keys to sustain peace in the region.

“The PNP regional office has been assisting former drug dependents through skills training and livelihood opportunities. In their next batches of training, we want former rebels to be included in these recovery activities,” Tan said on Tuesday.

The assistance to former NPA fighters will strengthen their resolve to completely abandon rebellion and support peace and development initiatives.

Tan said that this is one of the main agenda during her meeting last week with the newly-installed PNP Eastern Visayas regional director Chief Supt. Mariel Magaway at the Samar provincial capitol in Catbalogan City.

The new PNP regional chief has been going around the region to meet with governors and discussed areas of cooperation to attain peace and order. Before coming to the region, Magaway also met with district representatives from the region.

During the first quarter of 2018, at least 200 self-confessed drug users completed the skills training at the PNP regional headquarters in Palo, Leyte as part of the reintegration program.

Army 8th Infantry Division Commander Major Gen. Raul Farnacio supported the proposal given its holistic approach and the opportunity to converge with the police in reintegrating former armed rebels to the community.

“Most of the people recruited by rebel groups are deprived. Perhaps, with this activity, maybe this will become our chance to address our problem not only on illegal drugs but also in insurgency,” Farnacio said in a separate interview.

The PNP selected the participants from six provinces and seven cities in Eastern Visayas.

They have gone through a 45-day skills and livelihood training with the help of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and partners from the private sector.

Skills training offers include welding, motorcycle servicing, service consumer electronic products and systems, food processing, organic vegetables cultivation, organic chicken raising, massage, emergency search and rescue, stress management, traffic management, village peacekeeping operations, self-defense techniques, environmental protection, conflict management, internal security operations, community integration, counseling, and healing.

The government has been providing aid to former rebels under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) to help them live normal life.

Under CLIP, the former rebels were given reintegration support amounting to PHP15,000 immediate assistance, firearms remuneration of which amount depends on valuation of firearm surrendered and livelihood assistance worth PHP50,000. (RTA/PNA)