Manila offers "transition houses" for red rebels

MANILA: The government goes even further in pursuing local peace talks with communist insurgents by offering a $ 100,000 grant to provincial, municipal, and municipal authorities to build "halfway houses" or "community centers." treatment". According to a government official, Eduardo Ano, a retired military general and acting head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, revealed that at least nine provinces had already made use of it. supply of construction of the facility

. ] Ano said that these include the Kalinga and Mountain Province provinces in the northern highlands of Luzon; Masbate and Negros Oriental in the Visayas; as well as Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato South and North Cotabato in Mindanao

These facilities "will serve as a place of rehabilitation, healing sessions, education and training activities" for the former rebels or transferred to the community of New Communist Peoples. Army (ANP), Ano pointed out.

But he said the $ 100,000 would be donated only to local government units that comply with strict conditions for the construction of such "halfway houses".

an essential component of the Duterte administration's determination to hold local peace talks with the NPA rebels instead of keeping them abroad with their "living comfortable" leaders in exile as José Maria Sison, founding president of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)) who is in the Netherlands.

Ano expressed hope for the success of the localized talks following a CPP announcement that they would "elect the presidency instead." Duterte that peace. "

He said," We will never give up peace, so we are preparing for the return of Communist rebels in every possible way. "The NPA is the armed component of the CPP that has Since 1965, the government and Maoist representatives had to resume formal talks on June 29 with Norway as a third party facilitator, but before they can continue, they have led a Maoist-style insurgency against the government for 50 years.Duterte has announced the suspension, The President has also signed a decree declaring the CPP-NPA as "terrorist organizations" for their relentless attacks on police stations and remote military as well that the establishment of enterprises.

In particular, Duterte denounced the Maoists for their massive extortion activities under the pretext of demanding the payment of "revolutionary taxes" to commercial enterprises, in particular of bus companies and mining companies.