FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – The 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army has warned parents here to keep an eye on their children as a massive recruitment of child combatants and exploitation of the members of the Aeta tribe in Central Luzon was reported.
RESCUED CHILD COMBATANTS — Capt. Jimson Masangkay, Civil-Military Operation Officer of the Army’s 703rd Infantry Brigade with the rescued Aeta children.
(Photo from 7th ID/ Maj. Amado Gutierez)
(Photo from 7th ID/ Maj. Amado Gutierez)
Maj. Amado C. Gutierrez, Chief of the Public Affairs Office, 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, said the office of the National Commission on Indigenous People- NCIP Zambales received complaints from an Aeta mother.
“Be wary of your children’s activities, what organizations they are joining. The recruitment of New People’s Army (NPA) members begins in colleges and universities. They start as activists for the common good. Then they will be radicalized, and finally, become NPA terrorists ,” Gutierez said.
The Aeta mother said she saw children ages 10-14 inside a house swearing allegiance to the CPP-NPA’s flag administered by the known NPA members in the Aeta community.
The 7TH ID vowed to support National Commission on Indigenous People- Zambales Legal Officer Atty. Roman Antonio in filing charges against the CPP-NPA for its continuous recruitment of child combatants and exploitation of the members of the Aeta tribe in Central Luzon.
Antonio said he will file charges against the NPA recruiters of the Aetas in Zambales at the local prosecutor’s office for violation of Republic Act 9851, An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity or with the International Criminal Court.
“I am willing to get all the affidavits and necessary documents proving the existence of the CPP-NPA’s recruitment of Aeta minors as their combatants. This is alarming because we have information that there are 12-14 years old (all girls) who are still in the hands of the NPA,” said Antonio.
The 7ID headquarters confirmed the report on recruitment following the capture of five NPA Aetas including one minor last August 21 in Zambales.
The Philipine Army said the “continuing gross and systematic violation of the human rights of our children is a blatant violation of the right of children under R.A 11188, The Protection of Children in Armed Conflict.”
Aside from violation of R.A 11188, the CPP-NPA recruiters also violated Section 4, (24) (iii) Chapter 3 of RA 9851: Using children under the age of eighteen (18) years to participate actively in hostilities, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and its 2000 Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict stating, Armed groups distinct from the armed forces of a country should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities anyone under 18, Customary International Humanitarian Law Rule 136, and children must not be recruited into armed forces or armed groups.
The Philippine Army said the CPP-NPA is hypocritically claiming to be the protector of children when they issued a Declaration and Program of Action for the Rights, Protection, and Welfare of Children on April 24, 2012.
In Central Luzon, 140 former rebels belonging to the Indigenous People surrendered to the military from 2016-2020, 20 of whom were Aetas.
“Be wary of your children’s activities, what organizations they are joining. The recruitment of New People’s Army (NPA) members begins in colleges and universities. They start as activists for the common good. Then they will be radicalized, and finally, become NPA terrorists ,” Gutierez said.
The Aeta mother said she saw children ages 10-14 inside a house swearing allegiance to the CPP-NPA’s flag administered by the known NPA members in the Aeta community.
The 7TH ID vowed to support National Commission on Indigenous People- Zambales Legal Officer Atty. Roman Antonio in filing charges against the CPP-NPA for its continuous recruitment of child combatants and exploitation of the members of the Aeta tribe in Central Luzon.
Antonio said he will file charges against the NPA recruiters of the Aetas in Zambales at the local prosecutor’s office for violation of Republic Act 9851, An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity or with the International Criminal Court.
“I am willing to get all the affidavits and necessary documents proving the existence of the CPP-NPA’s recruitment of Aeta minors as their combatants. This is alarming because we have information that there are 12-14 years old (all girls) who are still in the hands of the NPA,” said Antonio.
The 7ID headquarters confirmed the report on recruitment following the capture of five NPA Aetas including one minor last August 21 in Zambales.
The Philipine Army said the “continuing gross and systematic violation of the human rights of our children is a blatant violation of the right of children under R.A 11188, The Protection of Children in Armed Conflict.”
Aside from violation of R.A 11188, the CPP-NPA recruiters also violated Section 4, (24) (iii) Chapter 3 of RA 9851: Using children under the age of eighteen (18) years to participate actively in hostilities, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and its 2000 Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict stating, Armed groups distinct from the armed forces of a country should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities anyone under 18, Customary International Humanitarian Law Rule 136, and children must not be recruited into armed forces or armed groups.
The Philippine Army said the CPP-NPA is hypocritically claiming to be the protector of children when they issued a Declaration and Program of Action for the Rights, Protection, and Welfare of Children on April 24, 2012.
In Central Luzon, 140 former rebels belonging to the Indigenous People surrendered to the military from 2016-2020, 20 of whom were Aetas.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/10/army-warns-parents-keep-an-eye-on-your-children-lest-they-become-combatants/
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