Five more rebel returnees received their checks for P50,000 each as economic assistance from the government, at the Negros Oriental provincial Capitol yesterday.

They were Alfie Gadiane, Manuel Lagrama, and Raymiel Macatigib, from Barangay Mantiquil in Siaton town; Bobby Senda from Tamlang Valley, in Brgy. Talalak, Sta. Catalina; and Gerardo Guillermo, of Brgy. Alangilan, also of Sta. Catalina.

On Thursday, 12 rebel returnees also received P50,000 each as economic assistance, and as part of the peace initiatives of the government.

The returnees, who have undergone capacity-building seminars and trainings to enable them to manage and sustain the livelihood assistance they received, have been encouraged to concentrate on projects like piggeries, buying a carabao for farming, or buying a trisikad unit.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Brigade Commander of the Philippine Army, who assisted Gov. Roel Degamo in handing over the checks, said more rebels are expected to return to the fold of the law because the government is sincere in addressing the problems on poverty, injustice and lack of services, especially in far-flung communities.

“What the government is doing in giving monetary support is enough proof, and a motivation for our ‘long lost' brothers to go back to mainstream society, and abandon the armed struggle that is not the solution to these problems,” he added.

Patrimonio said nine rebels have so far surrendered in the first quarter of 2012, eight of whom came from southern Negros Oriental.

Degamo, on the other hand, encouraged the rebel returnees to convince their former comrades to come out, because an armed struggle is an exercise in futility since the government is doing its best to deliver the basic services they badly need.*JG

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