THE military said the youngest recruit of the New People’s Army (NPA) is 12 years old.
In 4th Infantry Division’s (4ID) Custodial Debriefing Reports from 2016 to 2019, the average age recruited by the NPA is 17 years old, but the youngest is 12.
Also, the average age of NPA members killed in encounters is 21-year-old.
A certain alyas Bradex, 23, a former rebel confirmed this information to 4ID as he, himself, was recruited only at the age of 12 years old.
“Tinuod nga ang kalihukan naga rekrut ug menor de edad. 12-anyos lang ko dihang nagsugod kog kuyog sa mga NPA isip taga dala sa ilang mga bag ug taga kuha og tubig. 16-anyos ko niadtong nahimo kong regular nga myembro hangtud nahimong CO sa usa ka platoon,” the former rebel was quoted as saying.
Major General Franco Nemesio Gacal, 4ID commander, said the continuous recruitment of the NPA is a violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Rule 136 which “prohibits recruitment of minors by non-governmental armed groups involved in hostilities”.
Gacal said this also violates Section 4 of Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, which forbids the use of children under the age of 18 years to participate in active hostilities.”
“With these alarming revelations, we urge everyone to protect our future generation. We need to create a better future so that we will be able to preserve the precious lives of our children. Let us all put an end to the hostilities and continuous violation of the NPA Terrorists,” he said.
According to the military, in 2018, a total of 47 regular NPA rebels were killed, 13 were apprehended and 334 surrendered.
As of August 2019, a total of 34 regular NPA were killed, seven apprehended and 214 surrendered.