Eleven former rebels received livelihood settlement grants (LSG) of P20,000 each under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) held in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, on Friday, December 10.
The assistance was based on Executive Order No. 70 series of 2018 entitled “Institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of a National Peace Framework”, a press release from the Army said.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said the 11 former rebels were from Guihulngan City. “The government is sincere in helping our brothers and sisters, who were victims of the lies and deceptions of Communist NPA Terrorists, to start a better life once they return to the folds of law”, he said.
“To all the members of NPA Terrorist Group, it is time to lay down your firearms, return to your family and live a peaceful life in the mainstream society. The government has laid down programs for you to start anew. Or else, the security forces will use all its might to hunt you down” Pasaporte added.*