In the first three quarters of 2023, a total of 3,581 communist rebels have surrendered to authorities, a government task force announced Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Of those who surrendered, there were 1,144 former rebels who received various benefits worth P91.47 million after enrolling themselves into the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), the Task Force Balik Loob (TFBL) said.
"The bulk of the benefits were administered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the form of immediate, livelihood and reintegration assistance as well as firearms remuneration," TFBL Chairperson and Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon said.
De Leon said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported 1,794 surrendered firearms while the National Housing Authority (NHA) provided housing assistance to 67 former rebels from January to October.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) discussed the establishment of "Peace Centers" as support hubs for the convergence of security and socio-economic interventions towards the sustained reintegration of former rebels and their dependents.
"This is in line with the government’s campaign shift from a 'security-focused' one to something that is heavier on peace and developmental efforts," explained Undersecretary Ernesto “Jun'' Torres Jr., Executive Director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The TFBL held its E-CLIP and Amnesty Program (EAP) Cluster Third Quarter Meeting last Oct. 27 at the Philippine Army Officer's Clubhouse (PAOC) in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig City where member-agencies highlighted significant updates on the E-CLIP and other peace initiatives as part of the government's counterterrorism efforts.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of insights and recommendations on how to further improve the distribution of benefits to eligible E-CLIP beneficiaries.
De Leon expressed appreciation to all TFBL lead and partner agencies for their initiatives and efforts to vigorously implement the E-CLIP and urged continued collaboration with other stakeholders to further empower former rebels and former violent extremists (FVEs) as peace partners.
He also commended the dedication and hard work of all participants and underscored the "profound impact" of their efforts on the lives of former rebels.
The TFBL oversees the nationwide implementation of E-CLIP, bringing together national government agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders to provide a whole-of-nation approach in helping communist insurgents and violent extremists return to the fold of the law and help them become productive members of the society.
The task force is composed of representatives from the DND, DILG, OPAPRU, Office of the President, and the National Housing Authority, as well as other partner government agencies.
Meanwhile, E-CLIP is a government reintegration program created in 2018 to foster national unity and healing by aiding the reintegration of former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army, National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), and Militia ng Bayan (MB) into mainstream society.