ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Wilter Yap Palma has urged former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to convince their remaining comrades to surrender.
Palma made the call as he led Friday the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a PHP5-million halfway house at the provincial capitol compound in Barangay Ipil Heights, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Col. Leonel Nicolas, Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade commander; Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion commander, and representatives of other government agencies joined Palma in the groundbreaking ceremony.
Palma said former NPA rebels will be prioritized to work in the construction of the halfway house to earn a living, even as he assured them of the provincial government's support to make their transition easier.
He said halfway house will serve as a temporary shelter of the former NPA rebels while they undergo the documentation process, adding the center will also be used for livelihood training.
Nicolas said around 75 former NPA rebels are now in the custody of the 44th Infantry Battalion, 21 of whom are included in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government.
The remaining 54 former NPA rebels are still being processed to avail the government’s ECLIP.
The PHP5-million fund to construct the halfway house was sourced from the E-CLIP, one of the flagship programs of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte that seeks to address social healing and national unity toward the higher objective of having just and lasting peace. (PNA)
