CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines ― Former women combatants fight stigma as they struggle to return to normal life and reintegrate into society. This was the common thread among the stories shared by former New People’s Army (NPA) combatants Lourdes Acenas Caculba and Jean Bautista-Mabaga; and Hafida Romato Maute, the sister of Omar Maute, who founded the Islamic State-linked Maute Group that, along with their Abu Sayyaf Group allies, seized sections of Marawi City in 2017 that led to the five-month fighting that devastated the city. The three women shared their stories in the December 11 summit organized by WeCare […]... Keep on reading: Former women combatants demand end to stigma linked to being ex-NPAs