Manila, March 22 -- Former members of the New People's Army (NPA) are making themselves useful to the community as firefighters and as rescue volunteers for Kiangan town in Ifugao province, which embraced them back.
"We do not see their past as a hindrance to helping us save lives of our community members. In fact, we are very much grateful because these people dedicate their lives and spend most of their time doing community work," Fire Supt. Allan Eballar, Ifugao fire marshal, said in a telephone interview on Thursday.
Almost 70 former rebels are members of the Kiangan fire brigade and have been receiving regular training from the municipal fire station and from the regional office of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Eballar said t...