Over 600 former rebels serving now as forest rangers —DENR

Over 600 rebels that have turned over a new leaf and are now serving as forest rangers across the country under a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) program.

According to Abby Espirutu’s report on “Stand for Truth,” rebel returnees are assigned to patrol forests as rangers under DENR’s PAMANA Program.

“Ang bantay gubat tinatawag din nating mga forest ranger ‘yan, ito ‘yung inaatasan natin magbantay, mag-patrol sa ating mga kagubatan,” DENR undersecretary Jonas Leonen said.

(The "bantay gubat" -- we also call them forest rangers -- these are the people we assign to protect and patrol our forests.)

“So binibigyan natin sila ng uniform. Tine-train natin sila… pagka sa mga lugar na talagang delikado ay bibigyan din natin ng mga armas para proteksyon din nila kasi delikado din ‘yung ginagawa nila kapag nasa bundok sila,” he added.

(We give them uniforms. We train them… when patrolling dangerous areas, we provide them weapons for their own protection.)

One of the rebel returnees is Ramel Farol, who became a forest ranger in 2013.

Prior to this, Farol was a part of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) for more than 20 years.

The RPA-ABB is now known as Kapatiran, a legitimate non-violent, non-armed organization engaged in economic-socio-political activities.

“Noon bilang rebelde, nag-engage kayo doon sa war. ‘Yung pag-iisip niyo ay palaging violent. And now, here comes na civilian na kami. Engaged doon sa DENR as a forest guard, forest ranger, so medyo mas maluwag ‘yung buhay,” Farol said.

(When I was a rebel, I engaged in war. My thinking was always violent. No we are civilians, engaged as forest rangers in the DENR, so life is a bit easier.)

Farol said he surrendered worrying about the future of his family.

“Syempre ‘yung worry ko, paano ko mapapaaral ‘yung anak ko? Paano kami magiging buo ng pamilya ko 24 hours a day, 7 days a week na without fear, without security problem,” he said.

(I worried over how I would send my children to school. How we could spend time as a family 24 hours a day, seven days a week without fear, without security problems.)

“’Yung pinaka worse diyan ‘yung hindi makakain buong araw, naglalakad ng gabi. ‘Yung sakripisyo, ‘yung hindi mo makita ‘yung family mo within a year,” he added.

(The worst part of being a rebel was when I couldn’t eat for a day, and walk the whole night. The sacrifice, the thought that I couldn’t see my family for a year.)

In December 2000, there was a negotiation between the government and the RPM-RPA-ABB (Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas or Revoluiton Proletarian Arny-Alex Alex Boncayao Brigade),  after talks with the Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) in 1986.

At present, 128 former members of the RPM-RPA-ABB are assigned in the Visayas and Mindanao, while 508 former CPLA members are assigned in the Cordillera Region.

Of the rebel returnees from RPM-RPA-ABB, 48 are assigned in Panay, 14 are assigned in Aklan, 22 in Antique, and six in Iloilo.

Though they have surrendered, Farol said they are still facing discrimination.

“Nandoon talaga ‘yung discrimination dahil former rebel ka, ganoon ‘yung activity mo, ganoon ka dati, so parang iba ‘yung tingin ng buong community sa iyo,” he said.

(The discrimination is there because we are former rebels. So that’s how the community will look at you.)

The forest rangers also called on for additional wages as well as equipment. —LBG, GMA News