WHILE it is not prohibited by law, minors were seen protesting with adults on Tuesday, October 23, during a rally staged by militant groups in Davao City.
SunStar Davao tried to get further details on the minors but the organizers did not give any further details.
Among the minors joining the protest at the Freedom Park was Mart Dexter Gecana, 12, from Makilala, Cotabato City, who first said he did not know the main reason he joined the rally. But he later said he wants the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop harassing them.
“Gina-harass mi sa mga sundalo, ginapasanginlan mi nga New People’s Army (NPA). Ang uban, wala nalang nangiskwela kay didto naman sila nagpuyo (We are being harassed by the soldiers and accussed us to be members of the NPA. Others stopped going to school because they have been camping there),” Gecana said.
Davao City Mayor Sara Durtere-Carpio questioned Congressman Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers Partylist, about the minors who were rallying during schools days on her Instagram (IG) post on Tuesday.
“Ibagsak ang ACT Teachers, they do not endeavor to put children in schools. They want children to remain poor to be exploited by ACT Teachers,” Duterte-Carpio said on an Instagram post.
In a separate photo, she asked Ariel Casilao, Anak Pawis member, “What are the rights of the minors behind you?"
"You take them in the streets to conduct rallies. Again, you do not deserve to be in Congress. When will the House of Representatives ever kick you out? Gising na po ethics committee,” Duterte-Carpio said.
The protesters gathered at the Brokenshire Amphitheatre on Monday, October 22, for the 2nd General Assembly of Liga ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan.
Task Force Davao commander, Nolasco Mempin, said in an interview with reporters, that they already knew that the group was to convene at the Brokenshire Amphitheatre but they did not know that the group would stage a rally on Tuesday.
“Sa profile nila, marami ang children at lumads dahil sa Indigenous Peoples month [celebration],” Mempin said.
“It is a violation na i-involve ang mga minors sa ganitong mga activities so definitely mayroon itong violation sa Child Protection law natin na even recognized internationally, so maybe ‘yun ang pwedeng tingnan ng mga law enforcers,” Mempin added.