‘Halfway houses’ to be established for Philippines ex-rebels

Manila: The Philippines will set up halfway houses in various areas of the country where former insurgents can stay temporarily as they move back into mainstream society, officials say.

Hundreds of communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) insurgents are expected to avail themselves of the government’s offer to surrender following President Rodrigo Duterte’s move on November 22 to officially cancel peace negotiations. The halfway houses will serve to receive and process the rebel returnees as the government provides them with necessary assistance and skills to make their transition to life as peaceful civilians easier.

One such halfway house will be set up in Tabuk, Kalingan, province.

A P5-million (Dh362,698) facility is expected to be up and running early next year, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cordillera Regional Director Marlo Iringan said.

Trained personnel from the Provincial Social Welfare Department Office will be assigned to look after the operation of the facility.

The halfway houses will to receive and process the rebel returnees as the government provides them with necessary assistance and skills to make their transition to life as peaceful civilians easier.

The halfway houses will to receive and process the rebel returnees as the government provides them with necessary assistance and skills to make their transition to life as peaceful civilians easier.

According to Iringan, former rebels willing to go back to mainstream society are required to undergo re-orientation and re-briefing for smoother reintegration into the community.

The halfway house serves as the processing centre for them.

The halfway houses will receive and process the rebel returnees. To provide them with sustainable livelihood, the government offers programmes such as scholarship, skills training and livelihood assistance, and not just to rebels but also their kin.

They will have their re-orientation and re-briefing sessions inside the facility while waiting for the release of their benefits under the Comprehensive Local Integration Programme (CLIP) of the government.

Under the CLIP, financial assistance, compensation and remuneration are provided to the rebel returnees in exchange for turning in their firearms.

To provide them with sustainable livelihood, government offers them programmes such as scholarship, skills training and livelihood assistance, and not just to rebels but also their kin.

Iringan said he sees the project as important milestone in the government’s efforts to end the insurgency movement in the country.

To provide them with sustainable livelihood, the government offers programmes such as scholarship, skills training and livelihood assistance, and not just to rebels but also their kin. This file picture shows five police officers captured by the communist New People's Army beam with smiles as they were being turned over to then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte during ceremonies in Paquibato district of Davao. Seated at right are two NPA members. - Philippine Daily Inquirer

According to Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo, the number of NPA insurgents who had surrendered since February 4 has reached 531.

Recently, Duterte referred to the NPA as a “terror group”.

Being a terror group, its sources of international and local funding would be tightly monitored by foreign agencies.

Duterte was forced to cease all forms of talks with the communists after the latter group continued and even intensified their attacks against businesses as well as government security forces and installations.

The President also said that members of the NPA as well as the Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front and their “front organisations” would be arrested.