MILG Inks Accord with DILG to Implement ECLIP for MILF Rebels in Bangsamoro

edd1994

5 years ago

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By EDD K. USMAN

(SDN) — SOMETHING beneficial is coming for former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MILF is said to have over 40,000 fighters, many of them already able to get back to mainstream society courtesy of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) though its Normalization phase. Many more are in the offing to become normal civilian.

One bit of good news for these erstwhile rebels is what is dubbed as ECLIP, or the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program which President Rodrigo R. Duterte institutionalized via his signing of Memorandum Order No. 10.

**MOA for ECLIP in Bangsamoro region. (Images via MILG)**

The government originally intended ECLIP for communist rebels, but apparently has been expanded to cover Moro rebels. ECLIP is under the management of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Manila.

Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo brought the good tidings.

“We signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DILG National on the implementation of ECLIP in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This will allow the Bangsamoro Autonomous Government to manage the ECLIP in the region and facilitate the transfer of funds from the national government to the BARMM,” he announced the other day.

“With the expanded program, non communist rebels will now have access to a package of assistance for their return to normal life.”

The DILG explained what ECLIP is for.

“This is a government program that aims to help the rebel members of CPP-NPA-NDF and Militia ng Bayan to restore their allegiance to the Philippine government.”

ECLIP, the DILG said, is a program to reintegrate communist rebels back to the community, join their families, and start over with their new, normal lives.