Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 21) — Some 700 communist rebels and their supporters who surrendered to the government this year were welcomed Thursday in Davao City, the military said.
The communist rebels and sympathizers were gathered at the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) Covered Court in Panacan, the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement.
Officials from various government agencies attended the event to talk with the surrenderees and help in their reintegration to society, the military said.
The former rebels are now part of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the government, it added. The CLIP offers surrenderees P15,000 financial support, another P50,000 for livelihood, and a remuneration for the surrendered firearm with an amount ranging from P12,000 to P210,000 depending on the type of firearm they turn over.
The event in Davao City comes amid the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire over the Christmas holiday by President Rodrigo Duterte on offensives against the communist rebels.
READ: Duterte declares unilateral holiday ceasefire with communist rebels
Most of the former rebels and supporters of the communist party’s armed wing, the New People’s Army, were from the northern Mindanao provinces of Agusan, Bukidnon, Surigao, Davao, Cotabato, and Sarangani.
Two-hundred-and sixty-five firearms were recovered from the former rebels, the military added.
The surrenderees turned themselves in this year between January to December 15.
