New Peoples Army guerillas march in Davao City to celebrate the 48th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on December 26, 2016.

Efforts of the New People’s Army (NPA) to recruit and train minors as rebel fighters violate the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Convention on the Rights of Children, a military official said yesterday.

“It is a gross violation of the provisions of UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of Children which specifically states children below the age of 18 must be accorded their basic rights to include the right from exploitation,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said.

The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

“Recruiting them to become fighters is the height of (Communist Party of the Philippines) CPP-NPA hypocrisy,” Detoyato added.

Last 13 February, a 15-year-old female rebel voluntarily surrendered to military units in Capiz due to the extreme hunger and hardships she experienced in the mountains.

The girl, identified only as “Regina,” is from the Central Front in Tapaz, Capiz and has been a member of the rebel group for more than two months, 61st Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Sisenando Magbalot Jr. said.

He added “Regina” was recruited by her boyfriend, who is also a member of the revolutionary movement.

She said, at first, she was unaware her boyfriend was an NPA guerilla.

Magbalot said “Regina” served as a cook for NPA members and that she was taught how to use a firearm but she was never engaged in an encounter.

Magbalot said Regina’s parents were not initially aware their daughter had joined the rebel movement.

“It was them, however, who helped in negotiating with ‘Regina’ to leave the rebels,” he added.

The surrenderer will still undergo validation as she is not on the AFP list of CPP-NPA members.

The AFP emphasized the way to counter the recruitment, especially of the youth, is through awareness.

“We are trying to engage our school administrations. We will talk to them and have a dialogue together with the students for them to be aware,” Capt. Eduardo Precioso Jr., chief of the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office, said.

Precioso added it is during the summer vacation that recruitment is rampant. The rebels are using immersions, camps and on-the-job training to recruit students.

He also said it is a duty and social responsibility to protect the students.

“We don’t want our schools to be the platform of the rebels for their propaganda and recruitment. Hopefully, the schools will coordinate,” he added.

To instill awareness among the public about the rebels, the AFP will have future activities in the Community Support Programs areas. It will have free consultation, medical and dental missions and free haircut. This week it will conduct the activity in the province of Capiz.

The United States and the European Union have declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.