Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has recently stressed the Philippine government's task of helping former insurgents reintegrate into society with the support they need to provide for their families.

This, as the lawmaker continues to push former rebels to embrace new lives as productive citizens.

"Life is good in the lowlands as opposed to life in the mountains. Get a new life and return to the government," said Go in an ambush interview on Thursday during the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center in Malabon City.

"It hurts me whenever rebels die and especially when soldiers die. Because for me, those are Filipinos, too and there are families left behind. Peace is important. There is no need to kill, who wants to kill themselves? It hurts to see fellow Filipinos against fellow Filipinos," said the senator.

Go also reiterated his call for rebels to surrender and avail themselves of government reintegration programs, as he expressed his support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to grant amnesty to former rebels and insurgents.

The senator cited the root causes of rebellion, citing poverty and lack of government services as key factors and due to this, he continues to push for improved housing, education, health, agriculture, and livelihood programs to encourage rebels to reintegrate and live peacefully instead of taking arms against the government.

Highlighting the need for continuity of such initiatives, Go also welcomed the ongoing efforts under Marcos to encourage rebels to surrender in order to realize the goal of long-term peace in communities.

Go elaborated on the significance of the Balik-Loob Program under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, which aims to reintegrate former rebels into mainstream society by offering various forms of assistance and legal protections.

The Balik-Loob Program, officially known as the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, is a key initiative of the Philippine government. Managed by Task Force Balik-Loob, the program commends the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its role in positively transforming the lives of former rebels.

Created by Administrative Order 10 in 2018 during the time of Duterte, the TFBL serves as the central coordinating body for the government's reintegration efforts for members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, including their immediate families.