ILOILO CITY (PIA) - - Four New People’s Army rebels in Iloilo province have surrendered and availed of government’s package of assistance intended for them, reported the Department of the Interior Local Government.

During the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting, June 24, DILG Iloilo Provincial Director Teodora Sumagaysay said that each of the four former rebels (FRs) will get P65,000 worth of immediate and livelihood assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the government (E-CLIP).

“One of the FRs from the municipality of Bingawan has already claimed its immediate assistance of P15,000 and livelihood assistance of P50,000,” said Sumagaysay during the meeting which was presided by Governor Arthur Defensor.

Resolution No. 2021-006 series of 2020 highlighted that in the pursuit of the objectives of EO 70, the Local Government Support Fund-Support to Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) was included in the 2021 GAA to provide funds in the amount of P20,000,000.00 per communist terrorist groups (CTG) -cleared barangays to finance projects and activities that respond to the needs and problems in identified barangays.

“There are individuals pushing to defund the NTF ELCAC, to include the LGSF-SBDP,” the resolution said.

It added that “The LGSF-SBDP fund is not implemented by the NTF-ELCAC but is directly released to implementing LGUs for the welfare and benefit of the local residents and the defunding the LGSF-SBDP would be depriving the people of the much-needed projects and services due them.” (JBG/laf/PIA6-Iloilo)