Law pushed vs training of children as assassins

Published by rudy Date posted on December 21, 2009

MANILA, Philippines – A neophyte party-list group yesterday called on Congress to pass a bill that will criminalize the act of training children to be assassins as this is not covered by any existing child protection laws.

The Akap Bata party-list group issued the call following reports that children were being trained by the Ampatuan clan to become assassins in the province of Maguindanao.

The Ampatuans, led by Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., were accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last Nov. 23.

The group said this case is “one of the worst forms of child labor as children are being molded to become guns-for-hire.”

Akap Bata secretary-general Arlene Brosas alleged that minors were being trained and used, through the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO), to conduct ambuscades and killings against the political rivals of the Ampatuans.

Brosas said there is need for the government to legislate a specific measure that will treat this kind of maltreatment to children as a heinous crime as this is not covered by any existing child protection laws.

“It is the moral obligation of the government to send our children toward a better life ahead of them,” Brosas said.

In an exclusive interview with the ABS-CBN network, a man currently being held in a Manila prison for murder came forward to tell the story of how he had been working as an assassin for the Ampatuan clan since he was 12 years old.

Alias “Abdul” alleged that he had killed hundreds of people for the Ampatuans and had taken part in raids on entire villages. –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

June 2025

Philippine Environment Month!
“Action for Nature, for the Future!”


Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

Monthly Observances:

  1 Jun – World Day of Parents

  5 Jun – World Environment Day 

  7 Jun – World Food Safety Day 

  8 Jun – World Oceans Day

12 Jun – World Day Against
Child Labour

15 Jun – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 

16 Jun – International Day of Family Remittances 

17 Jun – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

20 Jun – World Refugee Day 

25 Jun – Day of the Seafarer 

27 Jun – Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories