ONE of the wounded young NPA combatant.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The military is set to file charges against the New People’s Army after the capture of two teenage guerillas on Saturday, June 21.
The child combatants – Digbay, 16, and Mario, 17 – were wounded in an encounter on June 19 and reportedly left behind by their fleeing comrades.
Digbay sustained a bullet wound in the right shin and Mario suffered a spinal injury.
The two were apprehended by the military during a follow-up operation in Sitio Muagan, Barangay Datu Ito Andong, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.
They were taken to the hospital.
“The employment of child warriors is a blatant violation of the International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law. It perpetuates the cycle of violence by normalizing the exploitation of the young and blurring moral boundaries in conflict zones. Hence, I have directed JTF Central to urgently initiate the filing of cases against the recruiters and ensure those responsible for these violations are held accountable and put behind bars, said Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete.