TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (PIA)--Four former rebels (FRs) recently received P10,000 worth of cash assistance from the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte (PGLDN) at the lobby of Arsenio A Quibranza Building, Provincial Capitol, Pigcarangan, Tubod, on Thursday, February 17, 2022.

This program is through the initiative of Governor Imelda 'Angging' Quibranza-Dimaporo in strengthening the implementation of Executive Order 70 or the institutionalization of the Whole-of-Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict that aims to address the root causes of insurgency to end local armed conflict in the country.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Annabelle Mendez, along with Mary Jean Yap-Quibranza, LGOO VII of the Department of Interior and Local Government LDN, distributed the cash assistance to the four FRs (3 from Kapatagan and one from Lala).

To ensure the safety of the FRs, they were accompanied by the Philippine National Police Officers from Kapatagan.

"Dako nakong pasalamat kay bisan sa mga sayop namo na pagtoo sauna naa gyud gihapon andam mudawat namo. Karon amo nagyung natungkad nga unsa diay ang atong gbyerno. Pasalamat mi sa mga nagtabang kanamo ug sa paghatag ani na cash assistance karon, amo gyud ning palamboon para sa among pamilya," one of the FRs from Kapatagan said.

[I am so thankful that even with our wrong beliefs in the past, there are still people that are ready to accept us. Now we know what our government is. We thank those who helped us and for providing this cash assistance; we will use it for our family.]

PLT Jonathan Fernandez, one of the police officers that accompanied the FRs said that government is very serious in accepting them without hatred to stop terrorism. He said that the government will not just provide support financially but also in livelihood, health, and safety. (PIO-LDN/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)