House probe on rebel returnee program sought; Año unfazed

Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas is set to file a resolution seeking investigation into the government's rebel returnee program once Congress resumes session next month.

Brosas will make the move in light of the manipulated photo of allegedly surrendering former rebels released by the Philippine Army — an incident that is now being investigated by the Army.

According to Brosas, the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) resembles a "fake rebel-and-firearms for-cash raket" as controversies continue to crop up as to how it is implemented.

Brosas said the program has a P260.4-million funding under this year's budget, and is set to receive an additional P106.1 million as part of the Department of the Interior and Local Government's budget next year.

“Bukod sa pineke ang litrato ng umano’y rebel returnees, maaring pineke rin ang sinasabing 306 na sumukong rebelde para pagkakitaan ng mga korap na opisyal ng militar at mga kasabwat na LGU. The government allocates millions of funds to E-CLIP each year and not a single audit or review has been made regarding its implementation,” Brosas said in a statement on Monday. 

The lawmaker said that based on grounds reports, the E-CLIP program is being used by the military to terrorize communities and to coerce non-combatants to admit that they are rebels supposedly in exchange of money.

“Each rebel returnee supposedly receives up to P165,000 including the maximum amount for firearms remuneration of P100,000 under the E-CLIP. But who determines if the rebel is fake or not? We fear that the program has become a milking cow for corrupt military men and partner LGUs as the total tally of rebel returnees is far higher than the estimated number of communist rebels,” she added.

Brosas pointed out that last year, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that around 8,000 rebels had surrendered, yet the government still says that communist insurgents are down to just 4,000.

"Tapos sinasabi nila, may 306 pang sumuko ngayong Holiday season on top of the hundreds who allegedly surrendered this year. Bakit mas marami ang sumuko sa mismong bilang ng rebelde? Dapat magpaliwanag ang AFP at DILG sa Kongreso sa iregularidad na ito,” she said. 

Brosas called for an end to such an anomalous scheme on rebel returnees, which she is part of the government's all-out war disguised as a whole-of-nation approach.

"Reintegration to a society marred by social injustices does not solve the root causes of armed conflict. Instead, the government should sincerely address the massive landlessness and lack of national industries,” she added.

Año unfazed

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, meanwhile, was unfazed by the possible congressional investigation, saying in a press statement that the inquiry on the E-CLIP would be an opportunity to prove that corruption does not exist in the program.

“Hindi uurungan ng gobyerno ang patutsada ng kaliwa na magkaroon ng imbestigasyon dahil wala namang korapsyon o anomalya sa programang ito. By all means, we urge Congress to do an inquiry so that the public will know the truth about the success of the E-CLIP program,” said Año, a former military chief of staff.

Año further said a congressional probe would allow government officials to report to the public the significant accomplishments of the E-CLIP program. He said this would show the large number of communist rebels who had decided to lay down their arms and go back to their normal lives.

“Kung inaakala ng Makabayan bloc na mapapahiya ang gobyerno sa isyung ito, nagkakamali sila. Nabigyan pa nga kami ng magandang oportunidad para maipakita kung gaano karami na na mga NPA at Militia ng Bayan ang nagbalik-loob sa pamahalaan at mang-engganyo sa iba pa na sumuko na dahil tutulungan sila ng gobyerno,” he said.

The DILG chief said he is willing to let the rebels who had received the assistance to face the investigation of the lawmakers if needed.

“Kung kinakailangan ay pahaharapin namin sa Kongreso ang mga E-CLIP beneficiaries para sila mismo ang magpatotoo na natanggap nila ang ayuda ng gobyerno at nagbabagong-buhay na sila. Malalaman ng taong-bayan doon kung sino ba talaga ang gumagawa ng kuwento,” Año said.

DILG data

Data from the DILG showed that from July 2018 to November 2019, a total of P171.6 million in financial assistance package have been released to a total of 2,882 rebel surrenderers under the said program.

Of the more than 2,000 rebels who had surrendered, the DILG said 2,635 were granted immediate assistance; 1,788 with livelihood assistance; and 655 firearms remuneration amounting to P171.6 million through E-CLIP from July 2018 to November 2019.

Meanwhile, Año lamented that the police and military have been wrongly accused by the leftist organization. He, however, said an inquiry would let members of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines defend themselves and prove that the leftist lawmakers were the ones who were supposedly "concocting stories and spreading lies." —KBK, GMA News