After undergoing deradicalization and processing, 14 former members of the New People’s Army in Davao Oriental received P65,000 each under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
During the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting held at Honeys Hotel in Mati City, Gov. Niño Sotero Uy, Jr. led the distribution of the financial aid amounting to P50,000 for livelihood and P15,000 as immediate assistance.
Uy highlighted in the meeting the government’s unwavering stance against insurgency, including the continuous support to the people’s organizations and the reintegration initiatives for former rebels.
He also stressed the critical role of good governance in fostering and enduring peace in the province, saying, “The true measure of government efficiency lies in the satisfaction of its citizens.”
According to DILG Davao Oriental, another batch of 15 former rebels will receive the same assistance soon, as their documents are still being processed.
Since 2021, a total of 149 former insurgents in Davao Oriental have been reintegrated into society and are actively contributing to peace-building endeavors.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Oliver Maquiling, commander of the Philippine Army’s 701st Infantry Brigade, said that the NPA has not conducted any activity in the province; however, he cautioned the Council members against attempts by left-leaning organizations or communist-allied groups that are exploiting local and national issues to recruit, particularly the youth sector, aimed at gaining their bases again in Davao Oriental.
Maquiling said that even if the province is free from communist insurgency, they have not kept their guards down against organizations that try to deceive the people and spread chaos again in the communities.
“Hangarin namin na maging mapayapa ang ating mga komunidad upang matutukan natin ang development na magbibigay ginhawa sa bawat mamamayan ng Davao Oriental,” he said.
(It is our hope to keep the peaceful situation in our communities for us to focus on the development that we can provide to our constituents in Davao Oriental.)
The province of Davao Oriental was the last province in the region to have been declared insurgency-free in September 2022. (MLU/PIA Davao Oriental/Photos from PIO Davao Oriental)
