By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) reported that three suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to police in Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City, Negros Occidental, last week.
The surrenderers, all from Silay City, yielded through the Project Pag-Ulikid: Compassion with Action and Armas Baylo Bugas initiative of the 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOCPMFC).
During their voluntary surrender, they turned over firearms and explosives, including a .38-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber revolver, two improvised 12-gauge shotguns with three rounds of ammunition, and two 40mm explosives.
The former rebels sought to clear their names and informed authorities that they had renounced their support for the NPA.
After undergoing proper documentation, they were released to their families and provided with cash assistance, grocery items, and a sack of rice each.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government, through the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), turned over PHP342,000 in financial assistance to 17 Sambayanan Negros volunteers, who serve as community peace and development advocates in various towns and cities.
Additionally, PHP2 million worth of livelihood projects was provided to 10 National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) associations in the province.
The assistance package included 1,000 breeder ducks, ten incubators with a 250-egg capacity each, and 127 bags of duck feed, weighing 50 kilograms per bag.
The Itik Pinas Raising for Balut and Salted Egg Project, implemented through the Provincial Veterinary Office, aims to address the gap in the province’s balut (fertilized duck egg) supply, provide livelihood opportunities to farmers and former rebel groups, and support the province’s food sufficiency initiatives.
These efforts reinforce the government’s commitment to promoting peace, livelihood opportunities, and reintegration programs for former rebels in Negros Occidental.
