P304-M aid given to ex-Reds under E-CLIP – DILG

July 5, 2020

A total of P304.43-million financial and other assistance for the past three years were given to over 4,000 former members of the communist New People's Army (NPA) and Militia ng Bayan through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said many rebels and their allies went down from the mountains during the enhanced community quarantine and they are now being processed by the government.

The DILG-administered E-CLIP provides each qualified rebel who surrendered an immediate financial assistance of P15,000, livelihood assistance of P50,000, and reintegration assistance of P21,000.

Firearms remuneration is also given for each surrendered firearm.

“Even in the middle of a pandemic, the government did not stop on encouraging our brothers and sisters who got lost in their path who leave their wrong ideologies and have a new life,” Año said.

“This is the proof that the government has concern and wants to have peace in the country,” he added.

He called on the rebels to continue to come down and join the mainstream society.

Of the P304.43-million in total assistance, P58.845-million was in the form of immediate assistance to 3,923 former rebels (FRs), P121.250-million for livelihood assistance to 2,426 FRs, P57.217-million for firearms remuneration of 858 FRs, and P67.116-million as reintegration assistance to 3,196 FRs.

As of May 31, of the 4,190 E-CLIP beneficiaries, 2,646 of them were regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) while 1,544 were Militia ng Bayan.

The Militia ng Bayan is composed of auxiliary members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) who assist the NPA plant bombs or stage ambuscades against government forces.

Año said that the government efforts of assisting former rebels are heavily concentrated in Mindanao because the bulk of the NPA forces are now there, particularly Davao Region with 1,035 beneficiaries; Northern Mindanao with 498 beneficiaries; Caraga with 496 beneficiaries; SOCSKSARGEN with 370 beneficiaries; and Zamboanga Peninsula with 159 beneficiaries.

In Luzon, the Department also granted E-CLIP assistance to 245 beneficiaries in Bicol Region, 203 in MIMAROPA, 174 in Central Luzon, 179 in Cordillera Administrative Region, 101 in Cagayan Valley, 27 in Ilocos Region, and seven in National Capital Region.

In Visayas, there were 349 E-CLIP beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas; 121 in Western Visayas, and 72 in Central Visayas.

Under E-CLIP, the DILG also provided 38 local government units with financial assistance of P5-million for the construction of halfway houses which will serve as a temporary shelter for former rebels while their documents as beneficiaries of the government’s E-CLIP are being processed.

Halfway houses also serve as training facilities for the FRs.

So far, four LGUs have completed the construction of their halfway houses, namely Davao Oriental, Occidental Mindoro, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Norte.

The halfway houses of eight LGUs, namely Apayao, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Quirino, Camarines Norte, Misamis Occidental, Davao del Norte and Agusan del Norte, are now ongoing construction.

Meanwhile, 26 LGUs are in the bidding and procurement stage.

Año hoped that as the country transitions to the new normal, more and more rebels will finally find in their hearts to give up their armed struggle and avail of the E-CLIP assistance packages offered by the government during the Duterte administration. Ella Dionisio/DMS