The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), General Andres C Centino, emphasized the value of a multi-faceted approach in addressing the issue of armed insurgency in the country, including the granting of amnesty to former rebels (FRs), during his interview on the “Balik-Loob sa Pagbabago” program of Task Force Balik-Loob on April 27, 2023.
“I have advocated that other approaches of government in dealing with insurgency should be considered, such as yung pagbibigay talaga ng amnesty,” Gen. Centino said, revealing that some members of the New People’s Army (NPA) are quite apprehensive about surrendering because of their pending cases in court.
Gen. Centino added that non-combat ways, such as the reintegration program of the government – the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) – and other activities allow the AFP to go after the enemy without engaging in armed combat. The AFP Chief likewise encouraged the remaining active members of the armed rebel groups to return to the fold of the law and mainstream society, saying that the AFP has been the catalyst in harnessing the collective efforts of the government and other agencies that aimed to put an end to insurgency in the country.
According to Gen. Centino, the strength of the communist terrorist group has been “significantly reduced and their presence is only in a few remaining areas in the country, and that is where our focus is. We are confident that it will not take long before their force is reduced to a minimum.”
Gen. Centino also encouraged all Filipinos to accept the former rebels, also called “friends rescued,” in their community and give them fair treatment and support, so they can easily adjust in their new life back in the mainstream society.
“By achieving the goal of really creating an environment of enduring peace, I think that will be the victory of the Filipino people. Then we will have progress and development that we, for so long, deserve. With peace, there is progress,” said the AFP Chief of Staff.
E-CLIP is the reintegration program of government that seeks to effect social healing and national unity through a whole-of-nation approach towards the higher objective of having a just and lasting peace. It provides social equity to former members of the NPA by providing assistance in their reintegration process into mainstream society.
The benefits under E-CLIP do not serve as an end, but rather a means to aid the FRs in securing a foothold in restarting their lives. It is being implemented by Task Force Balik-Loob, an interagency body headed by Department of National Defense Undersecretary Angelito De Leon as chairperson. Incidentally, TFBL is celebrating its 5th founding anniversary this month of April.