ILOILO – Five “child warriors” of the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) were among the 11 captured individuals in an encounter between government troops and rebels in Miag-ao town on April 18, the Philippine Army said.
According to the 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) under the 301st Infantry Brigade (301st IBde), government troops responded to persistent reports that the NPA was training minor recruits in Sitio Anoy, Barangay Cabalaunan, Miag-ao.
The blocking force of the Army captured 11 rebels while one was killed in a 35-minute gun battle.
“For the captured, we have five minors. One of them was 14 years old. Two were 15 years old. One was 16 years old, and the other one was 17 years old,” said Colonel Marion Sison, commander of the 301st IBde.
The five could be considered “child warriors” as some of them were “newly recruited and some rmed already,” he added.
The Army commander also said the five minors were all male and residents of Antique province.
The five, along with the six others, are currently in the custody of the Miag-ao police station and undergoing inquest proceeding.
Charges will be filed against those of legal age while the minors will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for proper custody.
Sison slammed the claims of the NPA that those captured were not their members.
“That is not new to us. They always do that. But we have rebel returnees who confirmed that those captured were indeed their former comrades,” he said.
As recruitment of minors is confirmed in the southern area of Panay, Sison is calling on the parents and guardians to always guide the teenagers.
He said the NPA using minors to wage armed struggle was “very alarming” and a serious offense.
“It is a clear violation of Rule 136 of the International Humanitarian Law which prohibits the recruitment of minors by any armed groups involved in hostilities,” he said.
The casualty on the armed encounter, meanwhile, was of legal age, a regular member of the NPA, and was already turned over to his family, said Sison.
“I commend the troops of the 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion for acting swiftly in eliminating the threat posed by the NPA terrorists in Barangay Cabalaunan. Despite being exhausted in our deployments in different quarantine control points, they were still able to perform their task of protecting our people from terrorism,” said Major General Eric Vinoya, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. (PNA/PN)
