Rebel returnee gets P30T from Capitol

A rebel returnee from Catmon and his family received P30,000 from the provincial government so he could "start a new life under the fold of law."

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia made a promise to hand out financial assistance to rebel returnee Luciano Poro and his family after his surrender together with his wife and son to the local officials of Catmon.

Poro admitted to have served the New People's Army several years ago, but decided last October 2006 to bring his family down from hiding in the mountains to "start a new life and live peacefully."

Catmon Mayor Estrella Aribal disclosed that the local government has already built a variety store for the family near the town's police station.

Poro said that the financial assistance the provincial government has provided to him will be used as "additional capital for the sari-sari store."

"Dili na gyud mahitabo nga mobalik pa ko sa maong trabaho kay grabe kapait ang kinabuhi didto sa bukid nga layo sa pamilya, natagamtaman nako karon nga mas nindot gyud ang pakig-uban sa pamilya," Poro said.

Garcia explained that when she declared an all-out war against communists, she is looking after the "socio-economic well-being of the people misled by the empty promises of communist terrorists."

Garcia urged those who have come to realize that they are victims of empty and broken promises of communist terrorists to return to the fold of law.

"Tabangan mo sa probinsiya sa Sugbo aron makasugod og bag-ong kinabuhi kauban sa inyong mga kaigsoonang Sugbuanon," she vowed.

Poro also urged his former colleagues who are still hiding in the mountains to come down and live peacefully with their families.

Hardship drove Puro alias "Mendo" with his common-law wife Roselyn Nura to the mountains to join the rebel movement seven years ago. It was the same reason that drove them to return to the fold of law.

Puro, who had been a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army for seven years, said he was convinced by the teachings of the communists that the poor, especially the farmers, should not be deprived of their land which are controlled only by a few landed individuals.

Roselyn, on the other hand, met Luciano while she was still 17 years old. She said in the vernacular that she "had no inclination to join the rebel movement, but that she just loved their cultural presentations in their place in Danao City." It was during one of these presentations, she said that she met Luciano.

Meanwhile, in the same turnover ceremony, Garcia also gave away wheelchairs to each of the seven persons with disabilities who stopped from going to school as early as this year.

Harvey Abilanes, 11, of barangay Lutac, Naga and Hercy Sismar, 12, of barangay Cogon, Naga both are suffering from polio.

Ethel Paran, 14, of barangay Cantabaco, Toledo City and Norma Fuentes, 14 and Alemar Manreal, 10 both of San Fernando town are suffering from cerebral palsy.

Randy Casareal, 28, of barangay Capt. Claudio, Toledo City has paralysis in the lower extremities and Roderick Ruelo, 13, of barangay Tabunok, Tabuelan has congenital deformities in the lower extremities.

Garcia mentioned that it was The Church of Christ of the Latter Day Saints to the Council that donated the wheelchairs for the welfare of differently abled persons to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. - Gregg M. Rubio