DILG welcomes probe into program for ex-rebs
MANILA -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is accepting the challenge of the so-called “Makabayan bloc” for a congressional inquiry into the governmentʼs program for rebel surrenderers.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said it would be an opportunity to place on the record the thousands of rebel surrenderers who have been benefited by the program. “Hindi uurungan ng gobyerno ang patutsada ng kaliwa na magkaroon ng imbestigasyon dahil wala namang korapsyon o anomalya sa programang ito (The government won’t back down to the challenge of the leftist groups to hold an inquiry because there’s no corruption or anomaly in the program). By all means, we urge Congress to do an inquiry so that the public will know the truth about the success of the ECLIP program,” Año said.
Año said a congressional probe would allow the government to report to the public the significant accomplishments of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) which provides a complete package of assistance to former members of the New Peopleʼs Army (NPA) and Militia ng Bayan (MB) and their family members who have laid down their arms to become productive members of the society. “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 (If the Makabayan bloc thinks that the government would be shamed in this issue, they’re wrong. We would even be given the chance to show the public the number of NPA and Militia ng Bayan (members) who have returned to the folds of law and encourage the others to surrender because the government will help them),” Año said.
Año made the remarks in response to the call of Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate and Eufemia Cullamat for Congress to look into the alleged corruption in the governmentʼs E-CLIP program.
From July 2018 to November 2019 alone, a total of PHP171.6-million in financial assistance package have been released to 2,882 rebel surrenderers under ECLIP of the interagency Task Force Balik-Loob, Año said.