The government awarded financial assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to a ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines who surrendered recently.
Regional Peace and Order Council Chair and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Director Marlo Iringan, Police Regional Office Regional Director B/Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan, and Philippine Army 503rd Infantry Brigade Commander B/Gen. Henry Doyaoen awarded the cash assistance to Anne Margarette Tauli, an Executive Committee member and former secretary of the Regional White Area Committee of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) under the Communist Party of the Philippines, in a ceremony at the Baguio City Hall, July 2.
Iringan said the P65,000 cash assistance comprised of P15,000 immediate assistance and P50,000 livelihood assistance.
Aside from the financial assistance, the National Housing Authority also awarded housing assistance to Tauli.
NHA official Chris Paul Mongalini said the housing assistance has three options which include a house and lot package, or a cash assistance of P450,000 for the construction of a house if she has a lot or cash to help in the titling of a lot. The third option is cash assistance for house repair or renovation worth 100,000.
“The E-CLIP is being implemented by the national government to motivate and inspire our brothers to come back to the folds of the law,” Iringan said.
Other government agencies such as the departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Labor and Employment, Social Welfare and Development and Justice also provide livelihood assistance to those who are qualified under the E-CLIP.
Tauli accepted the government assistance and assured that it will be used for projects in her hometown of Besao.
“I am accepting this assistance since this is also from the people and will be giving back to the people through our projects in Besao where we started before the Covid-19 some projects for progress and peace in our town,” Tauli said.
She also thanked National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Magalong, Pagkalinawan and Doyaoen for facilitating and assisting her through the “grueling process” of surrender which ended in the award of assistance from the government.
Magalong thanked Tauli for her courage in making the choice of returning to the folds of the law.
“Thank you for making a choice. I fully understand the sentiments and stand that there will come a time that you will really have to make a choice – that is support a legitimate government and advocate for peace,” said Magalong.
Magalong also urged Tauli to help in getting in touch with other members of the CPP-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front and convince them to surrender.
On June 11, Esperon, also the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict vice chair, together with Cordillera leaders presented Tauli to authorities after presenting herself to authorities in Besao. – Redjie M. Cawis
April 25, 2024
