Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. has denounced anew what he called the devious and inhumane tactic of the Communist Party of the Philippines—New People’s Army of recruiting children and training them to become combatants in a protracted guerrilla war based on a twisted and outdated Maoist ideology.
“The CPP-NPA is destroying the future of our children and the hope of our nation. Instead of inspiring them to be upright, peaceful and law-abiding citizens, the insurgents are molding them into child warriors with the sole purpose of fighting the government,” Galvez said.
The Duterte administration’s chief peace negotiator was reacting to news reports of a 14-year- old member of the CPP-NPA who was rescued on Tuesday by government troops in the hinterland village of Mt. Malindang in Misamis Occidental.
Based on accounts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 102nd Brigade, the lad who was only identified as “Bentong,” joined the guerrilla front Sendong of the Western Mindanao Regional Party when he was only 13 years old.
The boy was abandoned by his comrades in the jungle and appeared to be lost when he was rescued by soldiers.
He is now undergoing stress debriefing from a team composed of military, police and social welfare personnel.
“By using these child-warriors to fight in their war with the government, the Reds have shown they have no dignity nor compassion to speak of. Imagine, these children should be holding pens and books, but instead are being trained to shoot rifles and kill people,” Galvez said.
