Gov’t backs ARMM’s reintegration program for former ASG members

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The national government is supporting the reintegration program that has been initiated by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government for former members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the reintegration program of ARMM was being supported by the national government after the government has delivered positive results from its initial interventions.

Lorenzana, along with Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Alexander Macario, attended the ARMM’s Regional Peace and Order Council meeting on Thursday, March 21, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) in Zamboanga City.

The reintegration program dubbed Program Against Violence and Extremism (PAVE).

PAVE was designed to provide opportunities to members of the ASG who surrendered and returned to the fold of law for reintegration into society.

The program was expected to result in more ASG members surrendering in the coming months.

In a separate interview, former Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan expressed objection to the program saying that the program may only caused disappointment to people of Sulu who are law abiding citizens.

“We just do not understand why those criminals are being given attention by the government while those law abiding citizen could hardly get the attention of the government for livelihood programs,” Tan lamented.

I hope they will review again the effect of the program and if the program will bring good to the people of the province, Tan continued.

A total of 173 former Abu Sayyaf members from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi have recently surrendered to the AFP, or to their local government units (LGUs).