The Philippine Army (PA) is looking to re-assess its transition program for former soldiers to ensure that they will lead normal and productive lives as civilians after their career in the military.

This came as reports about former soldiers who were tagged in crimes made headlines earlier this week, the latest of which was the arrest of at least three ex-Army personnel allegedly involved in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo last March 4. The suspects had been discharged from the service, according to the Army.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said the Army is bolstering its values formation and character development programs for its personnel as he maintained that “majority” of the former soldiers “are law-abiding and contribute positively to their communities after their retirement from service.”

“We are also considering the review of the Philippine Army Transition Assistance Program which offers opportunities for education, training, livelihood, legal services, and financial counseling for retiring personnel [or] retiring soldiers,” Trinidad said in a statement on Thursday, March 9.

“We are looking at possibly expanding this program to include dishonorably discharged soldiers to help them start anew with their civilian lives,” he added.

Aside from this, Trinidad said the Army maintains a roster of all soldiers “with special skills” as they strengthen their counter-intelligence efforts “to keep track of the activities of former soldiers, especially the dishonorably discharged personnel who possess special skills.”

“We are also exploring the possibility of creating a dedicated counter-intelligence unit that will work closely with the Philippine National Police to prevent illegal acts that may be committed by current or former Army soldiers,” Trinidad stressed.

Meanwhile, the Army spokesperson called on former soldiers to “seek help if they are struggling with the transition to civilian life and to think carefully about the consequences of engaging in illegal activities.”