TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 1 (PIA) -- A study on the implementation of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and the national amnesty program is proposing the establishment of a dedicated task group responsible in facilitating the issuance of certifications to fast-track government assistance.

In a paper entitled “Sustaining The Peace And Security in Insurgency-Free Province of Bohol,” former S3 of the Task Group Cebu-Bohol from the Joint Task Force 7 of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), cited the need to put up a dedicated task group to entertain former rebels who apply for amnesty before they can be recruited back by the insurgents.

The paper’s author, retired Lt. Col. Eduardo Malig-on of the Philippine Army and now on the Army reserve, conducted the study to determine the status of the programs of the provincial government under the Provincial Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) in sustaining the insurgency-free status of Bohol using the E-CLIP and Amnesty Program. 

The study also aimed to determine the gaps and challenges in the program as well as suggest appropriate interventions to further improve the program in sustaining peace and development here.

Using key informant interviews and focused group discussions, the study showed that there are already 16 clusters of former rebels in Bohol comprised of 390 members, some of them now in three government established rebel returnee resettlement sites with 113 members.

The government has released P12.035 million in assistance, including firearms remuneration.

The study also showed that since 2018 to 2023, some 82 rebels have returned to the mainstream society, while nine of them have yet to receive the package of assistance they are supposed to get as E-CLIP beneficiaries.

Of the nine who have yet to receive their assistance, five surrendered in 2020 and four in 2021.

Malig-on cited the delayed issuance of the Joint Army-Police Intelligence Committee (JAPIC) certification, upon which the processing of the assistance benefit package of the E-CLIP depends.

The JAPIC certification certifies the authenticity and validity of the surrenderee to qualify for the enrollment in the ECLIP program.

To address these challenges, the study proposed a dedicated task group responsible for the JAPIC certification processing.

It proposed that the task group would be comprised of personnel from the Army, police, and intelligence community with specialized training in intelligence gathering and assessment.

The study also proposed the enhancement of coordination mechanisms between the police and the Army through regular meetings and information sharing, and the establishment of an electronic system for the submission and processing of JAPIC certifications for enhanced efficiency and transparency.

The study also called for fast-tracked livelihood assistance to address the livelihood needs of former rebels and their families. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)