AFP gets P100 million for ‘Balik Baril’ program

The military will get an additional P100-million allocation to finance efforts to buy back the firearms of insurgents under the "Balik-Baril" program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon announced yesterday that President Arroyo has already approved the additional P100 million to help the military in the program, aimed at offering rewards to rebel returnees.

The "Balik-Baril" program is employed by the AFP to encourage insurgents to return to the fold of law by offering them cash rewards in exchange for their firearms upon their surrender.

Under the program, the rebel returnee is being paid P18,000 for every high-powered gun surrendered, such as M-16s, M-14s and AK-47s.

Esperon said the cash tradeoff was increased to P35,000.

"From P18,000, we are raising this to P35,000," Esperon said.

He added a rebel who surrenders will be getting more cash rewards for every firearm he yields.

On top of the cash rewards, each rebel returnee will be given a livelihood opportunity on any government-funded projects.

While its intention is noble, Esperon noted the program started to lose its significance after being abused by some "enterprising" military and police field commanders.

He said some military commanders display before the public hundreds of recycled surrendered firearms in the effort to "collect" the cash rewards.

Aside from the Balik Baril program, Esperon also announced the AFP is recruiting additional militiamen to help out in the anti-insurgency campaign.

The AFP is set to assemble new battalions of Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) for deployment in rebel-infested areas in the country. — Jaime Laude