From InterAksyon (Jan 29): Military inside schools? Congressman seeks probe
Wary that it may lead to a rise in violation of children's rights, a lawmaker on Wednesday asked the House of Representatives to investigate a Department of Education (DEpEd) memorandum allowing the military inside the premises of public elementary and high schools.
House Resolution No. 725 filed by Kabataan partylist Representative Terry Ridon said the said issuance would be "inimical to the protection of children's rights."
"Allowing military presence in educational institutions is tantamount to increasing risks for children, especially those living in situations of conflict," he said.
The call to investigate stemmed from DepEd Memorandum No. 221 on the Guidelines on the Protection of Children During Armed Conflict issued on 13 December 2013.
Signed by Education Secretary Armin Luistro, the issuance allowed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct "civil-military" activities "inside or within a school or a hospital."
Under the memo, Luistro said that the AFP activities will be governed by its own guidelines dated 15 July 2013.
The school principals will receive the written requests for the conduct of AFP activities and will forward it to the division office for approval. After the activity, the school principal will submit a report to the division office.
The AFP Guidelines said the activities were needed "to prevent the occurrence of the Grave Violations Against Children During Armed Conflict pursuant to and in compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1612 and 1882, more specifically the violations known as Attacks on Schools and Hospitals."
"The main intent of the above policies/guidelines is ..... also to prevent/ bring to unnecessary risk and/or endanger all children, teachers, medical/dental professionals, health workers, and/or employees/workers of the school and hospital concerned, and the school or hospital itself," the guideline said.
"Even if both DepEd Memo 221 and AFP Letter Directive 25 only allow what they call civil-military operations, the said issuances would still be inimical to the protection of children's rights. Allowing military presence in educational institutions is tantamount to increasing risks for children, especially those living in situations of conflict," Ridon said.
Ridon also noted several loopholes in both memos, which he said should be scrutinized.
For example, Guideline No. 7 of the AFP letter directive stated that, "If there is a need for the force protection unit(s)/personnel to be inside the school, due to exigencies of the prevailing security situation and/or activity and/or request, they must be deployed and limited/contained to the pre-identified/pre-approved within the school/hospital premises."
"The said provision is unclear on who determines the presence of the 'need for force protection units,' which is the AFP's euphemism for armed soldiers and is thus open for abusive interpretation," he said.
The letter directive also "justifies and legitimizes military surveillance in schools," Ridon said.
Guideline No. 8 of AFP Letter Directive 25 states, "In order to clearly record the conduct of activity for purposes of documentation, units concerned must undertake photo and video coverage of the activity, hence is highly encouraged."
"The said provision will in effect legitimize photo and video surveillance inside schools in the guise of documentation," Ridon said.
The partylist lawmaker also pointed out that under AFP Letter Directive 25, violations will be investigated and dealt with through a military court.
"This provision is seen to further dilute its objective to secure children from rights violations and may prove as a way for uniformed personnel to get away with violations through the mantle of protection of the military court," he added.
Ridon said the new issuances go against the declaration of United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon that stated that "The use of schools for military purposes puts children at risk of attack and hampers children's right to education."
"Limiting military operations in schools to socio-civic activities does not change the fact that both DepEd and AFP's guidelines violate international laws and statutes," he said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79690/military-inside-schools-congressman-seeks-probe
Kabataan (Youth) is a Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-associated party-list political party and Rep. Terry Ridon is a long-time CPP front group activist. Rep. Ridon is attempting to use his position in Congress to discredit the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and limit military COIN activities directed toward Philippine schools/students.
ReplyDeleteThe military routinely conducts anti-communist lectures/information activities for school students as way to indoctrinate them against Maoist CPP recruitment efforts. Schools are also used as venues for Philippine military medical, dental, and other humanitarian support activities provided to Filipinos at the local level.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that CPP activist Ridon, would seek to circumscribe AFP activities that serve to undermine the position/influence of the insurgent New People's Army (NPA), the military wing of the CPP, at the grassroots level.