Thursday, November 08, 2007 Editorials: Children in war situation
THE tug-of-war over an eight-year-old daughter of an alleged rebel showed the predicament of children caught in the middle of war.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas accused elements of the 78th Infantry Batallion of abducting the child on Oct. 16 in Tuburan and subjecting her to intense tactical interrogation.
Military officials vehemently denied it.
Which is not surprising because United Nations covenants and resolutions condemn targeting of children in situations of armed conflict, including abduction.
Questioning
Judging from statements of people from the northwestern Cebu town that faced reporters last Monday, it is possible no abduction occurred, although it is doubtful if the soldiers did not subject the girl to questioning (how intense is a matter of conjecture).
Chances of identifying children of suspected rebels are rare and any law enforcer worth his badge will try to use that opportunity to trace the parent’s whereabouts.
Police described the child’s father, Lyndon Botilla, as a squad leader of the New People’s Army and claimed he was involved in the attack against a team of soldiers in Tuburan in 2005.
Custody of child
The incident brought to public attention the complicated setup that rebels must contend in maintaining a family and raising kids.
Children whose parents are active in the underground are either left in the care of their next of kin outside the war zone or are brought inside guerilla fronts and placed in the custody of sympathizers.
The problem is when the family taking care of the child either resents the setup or does not understand their role, prompting them to turn over the kid to “enemy” forces, like what farmer Rogelio Barcenal did.
Worse is when the parents are killed or sympathizers are displaced by military operations resulting in the child being separated from kin for a time or for several years.
Normal life
It is good that government forces eventually let go of the child and allowed her aunt to take her back, thus sparing her the agony of being separated from her next of kin or being used to trace the whereabouts of her parents.
Her parents, on the other hand, should learn from the incident and find ways to have the child lead a life as normal as possible.
