'Use of child warriors poses serious threat to drive vs insurgents'

MANILA, Philippines - The use of child combatants poses a “serious threat” to the state forces’ campaign against armed insurgents, a multinational risk consultancy firm said.

In a report issued to its clients, the Pacific Strategies & Assessments (PSA) said the use of child warriors would ensure the continuity of the armed struggle as the young fighters are tapped to replace fallen or captured rebels.

“The use of child warriors is a serious threat to the campaign against rebels... Warriors who have been trained since they were young usually grow up to be organization hardliners,” PSA said in a report dated Oct. 24.

PSA, whose clients include embassies and financial institutions, said the issue on child warriors is not just on children’s rights but also security risks.

“Efforts to neutralize armed groups will remain futile as long as they continue to attract younger members who are capable of conducting more brazen acts than their older counterparts,” PSA said.

According to the report, the issue of child soldiers “is one of the harsh but documented realities in the ongoing communist and Muslim insurgencies in the Philippines.”

PSA said children have been vulnerable targets for recruitment as armed rebels because they can be easily manipulated and indoctrinated.

“The situation in the countryside is characterized by a vicious cycle of poverty, limited access to economic opportunities and a weak delivery of basic services from the national government,” it said.

“This breeds a feeling of neglect among children, making them prone to forming anti-government sentiments and, therefore, prone to joining rebel groups,” it added.

PSA, which has offices in Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Milwaukee, and Sydney, said children also enter insurgent groups due to family ties.

“Children who have lost relatives in the military campaigns against insurgents are more likely to join rebel groups due to their desire to seek revenge for their fallen family members,” it said.

PSA said there have been reports that identified the New People’s Army (NPA), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf as armed groups that are employing child fighters.

It cited a report by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers which stated that 20 percent of NPA members are below 18 years old while 12 percent of MILF fighters are children.

PSA also mentioned a United Nations report for 2010 which alleged that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is using children as informants and guides. The military has denied the findings of the report.

PSA said there is a pending bill in Congress that seeks to criminalize the use of child warriors but it remains unclear when it would be passed.

“Moreover, similar proposals in the previous Congress to pass this bill did not gain the necessary momentum to achieve passage,” it said.

“It is unclear how the law could be implemented if, among its violators, are groups that cannot be controlled by the government itself,” it added.