Two in 10 New People’s Army rebels who surrendered to the government were minors, with ages ranging from 11 to 17 years old, a study conducted by the 10th Infantry Division (ID) revealed.
Maj.
Jacob Thaddeus Obligado, commander of the Civil Military Operations Battalion,
said the study they conducted was based on the 450 surrenderees who were
randomly selected in a five-year period between 2006 until 2011.
Adding that the margin of error would be low
since they covered more than half of the total surrenderees. The rebel returnees came from Davao
He said 30
of the minors came from Compostela Valley , followed by 21 from Davao
“The average age of entry is 17,” Obligado said.
“The youngest age that was recorded was 11 while the oldest was 59.”
The commander also revealed that 78% of the minors are Lumads.
Obligado said the study also revealed that the average educational attainment of the returnees is grade 3.
“Though some were able to enroll up until grade 4, they eventually stopped or
did not go to school,” he said.
Obligado
doesn’t blame poverty as the main reason in joining the movement since the study revealed that only 5% of the
respondents claimed the lack of livelihood opportunity as the major culprit.
Obligado disclosed that 86% of the returnees cited hardship and difficulties
as their reasons for leaving, adding that they were always
living in fear, under constant stress and always hungry.
He said they have yet to make a cross-index study
to find out why a large number of surrendeeres came from Compostela Valley
Interesting statistics on NPA returnees that appear to contribute to a long-standing Philippine military anti-NPA propaganda theme: that the insurgent group recruits, trains, and places in harms way a large number of "minors" also often referred to as "child warriors."
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