AFP blasts NPA’s child recruitment

HINABANGAN, Samar — The Armed Forces of the Philippines condemned the communist New People's Army for their continued recruitment of minors as combatants in their fight against the government.

801st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Lenart Lelina stressed that the recruitment of minors as combatants violates the international humanitarian law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"We had encountered many cases in the past about minor NPA members who were killed during combat or apprehended during operations," said Lelina. "This is an open secret of the communist movement."

Lelina cited the case of Anthony Encinas alias Aljur, who was recruited by the NPA in 2016 when he was a minor. Lelina said Encinas was initially tasked as a member of Yunit Militia who run errands for the regular combatants and provide information on movements of the military in their barangay but was eventually ordered to join combat operations due to diminishing ranks of NPA guerillas.

During his surrender on 19 November, Encinas told the military that he has two colleagues who are both 17 years old, which, under the law, is considered a minor. Encinas was a member of NPA's Bugsok Platoon, Sub-Regional Committee Sesame before his surrender. He also has two older brothers who are in NPA.

8th Infantry Division commander Major General Camilo Ligayo urged the NPA to surrender their child combatants so that they can be brought back to school. He added that as a party of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the National Democratic Front should order the NPA to stop recruitment of minors as combatants.

Ligayo also appealed to the public to support and protect the welfare of the children and stop the recruitment of child combatants.