30 former rebels hired as forest rangers

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Thirty former members of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) in Abra and Apayao provinces who did not qualify for the military integration program of the government were hired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as forest rangers over the weekend.

Sixteen CPLA members have surrendered their firearms to Gov. Elias Bulut Jr. and 501st Infantry Brigade chief Col. Roger Salvador at the provincial capitol in Luna, Apayao provincial director Senior Superintendent Albertlito Garcia said.

In Bangued, Abra, 14 former CPLA combatants turned their firearms over to Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin and Presidential Peace Process Adviser Alexander Umpar.

CPLA-Cordillera Forum for Peace and Development chairman Arsenio Humiding said the turnover is part of the continuing demilitarization of their group.

He said this would be followed by the livelihood phase stated in an agreement with the government of then President Corazon Aquino in 1986.

At present, 168 children and relatives of the former CPLA members are undergoing candidate soldier’s course in the Army’s 5th Infantry Division in Camp Upi, Gamu, Isabela.

The newly hired CPLA forest guards will be trained in this city, Humiding told The STAR.

In a related development, 1BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III passed House Resolution No. 53 urging the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF)  peace panel to resume peace talks without preconditions.

Bello said, apart from the chairman, the President should appoint permanent members of the peace panel who would remain in the talks regardless of the change of administration.

He said the move would help the government keep abreast with the talks like their counterparts in the NDF panel.