Ex-Magdalo men tapped by Esperon

MANILA, Philippines – Pardoned rebel soldiers, including their ringleader, former Army Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, have been hired by presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to help in the government’s program for former communist guerrillas.

Esperon said aside from Maestrecampo, there are five other former members of the Magdalo who are with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process’ (OPAPP) Social Integration Program for rebel returnees.

The rest of the group includes former Captains Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Alvin Ebreo, and ex-Lieutenants Cleo Donga-as and Bryan Yasay.

Esperon said former Capt. Gerardo Gambala might also join him at OPAPP after he had finished his church work.

He said the former Magdalo members, who were convicted and later pardoned for the failed 2003 Oakwood mutiny, were hired by his agency because of their knowledge in the concerns of communist rebels, having been assigned in the frontlines during their stint in the military service.

“They are in the social integration process of former rebels. It’s very essential, very important because one, if they know the problem of the rebels, they know the systems that go with that,” he said.

He said the former military officers were the ones who crafted the manual for the OPAPP’s social integration program.

He said the talent of the discharged officers could be put to good use in the government’s peace programs.

Some of the officers involved in the failed uprising were employed, aside from OPAPP, by some government agencies like the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group.

There are also junior officers who were former Magdalo members who are now working for private companies.

Yasay said in an interview that working for the government’s peace and reconciliation program is his way of giving back what he received as a former rebel officer.

“We were also recipients of the peace and reconciliation program so we are now working to advocate it,” he said.