Eastern Samar Governor Conrado Nicart.
Eastern Samar Governor Conrado Nicart.

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar, (PIA) — Top provincial officials, particularly those from the peace and security sectors welcomed the 11 former rebels who have decided to return to the folds of the law.

In an interview with PIA, one of the 11 former rebels said that they surrender because living like fugitives in their mountains was hard.

No less than Eastern Samar Governor Conrado B. Nicart, Jr. , Police Senior Supt. Romeo P. Campomanes, Provincial Director, Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office (ESPPO), the 8th Infantry Division, Brigade Commander, Col. Perfecto M. Rimando, 14th Infantry Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Peter B. Burgonio and other officials gathered to welcome the 11 former rebels during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting (PPOC) held at the Governor’s Conference Hall on September 23, 2015.

Governor Nicart, in a statement, said he welcomed the rebel returnees and congratulated them for their decision to return to the government.

“The surrender of these 11 rebel returnees is the realization of the peace efforts that we really want,” Gov. Nicart further said.

During the meeting, Governor Nicart distributed checks in the amount of P65,000.00 wherein P15,000.00 of which was for immediate assistance and P50,000.00 for livelihood assistance to 11 surrenderees.

It was learned that the former rebels will enagage in hog raising, poultry raising and sari-sari store establishment.

According to Ms. Gemma A. Amit, OIC-Provincial Director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Field Office, the assistance came from the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).

CLIP focuses in the integration program for members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front (NDF) who have decided to abandon armed struggle and be mainstreamed into society. (aen/ajc/PIA-E. Samar).