Livelihood Program for Rebel Returnees

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who says he has friends in the New People's Army (NPA), has appealed to the rebels to spare the city from attacks, his aide said Thursday.
The NPA has stepped up its activities during the past weeks by staging attacks in Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and Compostela Valley and in Surigao del Norte.
Duterte issued the appeal during talks with some left-leaning individuals last week according to his chief aide officer, Bong Go.
"The mayor asked leftist leaders if they could send a message to NPA leaders to spare the city from violence," Go told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.
Go said Duterte also urged the NPA to release former army sergeant Jose Manero, the brother of pardoned priest killer Norberto Manero.
"He is still alive contrary to reports. Mayor Duterte appealed for his release based on humanitarian grounds," he said.
In Bansalan, Davao del Sur, Mayor Edwin Reyes offered to provide jobs and livelihood programs to NPA guerillas, who will go back to the folds of the law.
Reyes also asked the NPA rebels to leave the civilians alone.
He made the offer shortly after NPA rebels stormed the village of Managa here on Sunday and disarmed militiamen of their firearms.
The mayor said as a sign of sincerity, he has asked the army not to pursue the fleeing rebels.
"Our municipality could not employ all of them but we can recommend them for work in some businesses," he said.
Reyes said the government has many livelihood programs that the returning rebels could also avail of.
In the wake of the increasing NPA activities in Southern Mindanao, Senior Superintendent Cesario Darantinao, Davao del Sur police chief, said he placed the province's police force under a 24-hour red alert status.
Major Lyndon Paniza, commander of the Army's 39th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the NPA attacks were manifestations the rebels were becoming desperate and wanted to regain control of areas they lost to the government's anti-communist campaign.
"We should always be vigilant at this point in time. The rebels are just waiting for the right time to launch an attack," Darantinao agreed.
Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas said he would start localized talks with the NPA.
Cagas, one of the co-founders of the 1980s anti-communist group Nagkahiusang Katawhan sa Davao del Sur (Nakasaka), said a dialogue with the rebels could be more effective than armed offensive.
"Let's have a talk, a dialogue. If there are basic differences, ideological, we can allow it to continue but then let's have peace," he said.
Davao del Norte officials also said a localized talk might be an effective way of reducing the NPA attacks in the said province.

Reports from Dennis Jay C. Santos, Orlando Dinoy, Eldie Aguirre and Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao