Troops capture two NPA child warriors in Quezon

TWO “child warriors” of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) have been captured by government troops following an encounter in a mountain barangay of Quezon province.

The spokesman of the Armed Forced of the Philippines-Southern Luzon Command (AFP-Solcom), Col. Generoro Bolina on Friday identified the captured minors as Reynaldo Delos Santos, 17 and Rodrigo Catamco, 16.

A third rebel, Elmer Desoyo, 18, was also captured with the two rebel children.

The encounter took place Thursday at Tagbakin, Brgy. Pansoy, San Andres, Quezon.

Bolina said the captured NPAs were members of the so-called SPARU team, tasked to liquidate soldiers, policemen and members of the civilian auxiliary armed group in the towns of San Andres and San Francisco to highlight the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on March 29.

“However, due to reports coming from concerned citizens, their presence was tipped off. Hence, the military and police were able to pre-empt the planned atrocities,” Bolina said.

The two minors, he added, would be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for proper disposition and subsequent filing of charges against NPA leaders for recruitment of children.

The AFP claimed that the NPA has long been recruiting children to augment its dwindling ranks, which the insurgents vehemently denied.

The military leadership has already brought to the attention of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) the alleged continued use of “child warriors” by the NPA in its operations.

The chief of the AFP Human Rights Office, Col. Domingo Tutaan Jr., earlier said that a formal report had already been submitted to the UNICEF based on documents from various military units all over the country regarding the use of child warriors.

The UNICIEF had earlier proposed to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the mother unit of the NPA, to implement an action plan that would put a stop on the use of child soldiers.

Records from the AFP Civil Relations Service showed that over the last 12 years since 2000, the military has neutralized 340 child warriors, aged 15 to 18.

Of the number, 209 surrendered, 119 were captured, and 12 were killed in combat. –WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL REPORTER, Manila Times