By Liza
Agoot
BONTOC, Mountain
Province-- Eleven more former rebels and “Militia ng Bayan” members committed
on Wednesday to serve the country, taking their oath of allegiance during a
ceremony here.
"Maya"
(not her real name) said she decided to avail of the government’s offer of a
new life for the sake of her six children--aged 14, 13, 9, 6, 3--whom she hopes
would all finish their studies.
"Our
life was difficult, do not want my children to have the same life, I want them
to be successful in life,” Maya said in the Ilocano dialect.
Maya and the
10 others were among those who separately surrendered to the government since
November 2019 but joined part of the mass oath-taking.
Maya joined
the rebel group in 2002 after she was convinced by the New People's Army (NPA)
rebels who camped for a week at their home in one of the towns in Mountain
Province.
Three years
with the group, she found a husband among the members in 2005 and gave birth to
her firstborn a year after.
Maya, who was
as a medical officer of the NPA group in the area, described the life of an NPA
combatant as "narigat" (difficult) without any certainty of the
future.
"I
learned how to be one [of the medical officer] while I was in the mountains. we
were taught by someone who comes to where we camped how to do ‘accupress’.
There are a lot of us who know how to do it and it’s what we use to help
combatants who are injured members," Maya said.
She also said
there are times when they had to join the NPA combatants in fighting the
government troops.
"Agkararag
ka lattan tapnu saan ka nga madangran. Kabutbuteng ngem isu garud parte ti biag
nga pinili mi (Just pray so that you won't get hurt. it was scary but it
was part of the life I chose)," she said.
Maya and
other surrenderers will receive immediate assistance of PHP15,000.
They will be
validated and processed while a series of reorientation will be done as part of
their re-embracing of their allegiance or commitment to support the government.
As a rebel
returnee, Maya will be asked to help convince other NPA rebels and supporters
to surrender.
The firearm
she surrendered will also be assessed of the value and the amount will form
part of the money she will use in “starting a life”.
Aside from
PHP65,000 livelihood assistance, the rebel returnees will be provided a decent
home and her children who would be given an education.
"Come
down and have a life. The government is here to help us start a peaceful life,
come,” Maya said in the vernacular. (PNA)
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