Peace panels urged to tackle issue on child soldiers

OPOL, Misamis Oriental — The Philippine Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (PCSUCS) is urging the peace panels of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NDF-CPP-NPA) to include in their agenda the issue of child soldiers.

PCSUCS said children in the countryside are being recruited as soldiers by non-state armed groups such as the MILF and the NPA.

The PCSUCS is composed of Amnesty International-Philippines (PhilRights), University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Developmental Studies-Psychological Trauma and Human Rights Program (UP-CIDS-PSTHRP) and Balay Integrated Rehabilitation Center for Total Human Development (BirthDev).

"The coalition calls upon the members of the peace panels to recognize the issue of child soldiers and to ensure that it becomes part of the agenda of the peace negotiation," said Jessica Soto, executive director of Amnesty International-Philippines during a press conference Wednesday.

PCSUCS urged the government to work for the protection of children in general and child soldiers in particular. It also called on armed opposition groups to adhere to humanitarian laws.

Agnes Camacho, program officer of UP-CIDS-PSTHRP, told reporters that at least 10 to 30 percent of children living in a community influenced by armed groups are recruited as soldiers.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about three percent of the estimated 9,000 NPA fighters are children. But Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) data showed that 20 to 25 percent of NPA recruits are children.

But while non-state armed groups are always reported to recruit children as combatants, the government and its paramilitary groups such as the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and Civilian Volunteers Association (CVO) are also guilty of violating the law that prohibits the recruitment of young people under 18 years old.

"This is happening because there’s lack of information among the armed groups themselves that they are not allowed to recruit children below 18 years old," Camacho said.