On the International Day of Condemnation Against the Use of Child Soldiers

At the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict there is no one day that we mark as the International Day of Condemnation Against the Use of Child Soldiers.

For us, everyday is International Day of Condemnation Against the Use of Child Soldiers.

So much of what we do and what we hope for is defined by this urgent need to end, in our lifetime, this outrage of the theft of our children by the CPP NPA NDF so that we may no longer pass on to the next administration this blood-stained curse.

An unbearable number of our children have been snatched away from the embrace and care of their families and they were deceived by this terrorist organization to turn away from their bright dreams with the planting of the CPP Doctrine of Hate in our children’s pure hearts that then turns them into violent extremists who, at such tender ages, bear arms and become unfeeling, unthinking killing machines who point their guns on fellow Filipinos then pull the trigger.

An agonizing number of them have lost their lives and lie buried in unmarked graves across the land because they were used by this terrorist organization –by way of their numerous fronts: GABRIELA, LFS, ANAKBAYAN, KABATAAN, CEGP, NUJP, NUPL, SCMP, KATRIBU, KARAPATAN, BAYAN MUNA, ACT, etc—as child warriors.

And there now sit in Congress the disgust of six high ranking party members of the CPP NPA NDF who have enabled even further the recruitment of our children into their fold: CARLOS ZARATE, FRANCE CASTRO, EUFEMIA CULLAMAT, FERDINAND GAITE, SARAH ELAGO, ARLENE BROSAS- by providing valuable cover to their terrorist organization as their fronts go about snatching our children away from us.

And for over 20 years now, we have had the deep shame of having vested immense powers on pretend-legislators who use their office as recruitment grounds that snare our children into the NPA: Teddy Casiño, Neri Colmenares, Satur Ocampo,etc. The latter—together with sitting Representative, France Castro—recently caught spiriting away 14 minors of the Ata Manobo tribe in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, in an attempt of forced recruitment.

Some of our own schools have been complicit to this outrage by their silence and tacit agreement.

In no less than what is supposed to be our premier state university, the University of the Philippines, school officials have alternately looked away and buried their heads in the sand as this state university has gone on to fulfill the communist terrorist agenda of making it the center of gravity of communism in our country.

We are deeply comforted and relieved that this is not the case for all schools that have been targeted by the CPP NPA NDF for recruitment and radicalization with school authorities closing ranks with government to shield and protect their students.

Of notable worth is University of Southeastern Philippines’ President Dr. Lourdes Generalao and Aklan State University President Dr. Emily Arangote who have, with clear eyes and pure hearts, both shown the way to this uncharted waters we find ourselves in in reclaiming our children. And other schools have followed suit.

Terrorist training camps, however, that have disguised themselves as schools were set up by CPP NPA NDF fronts: Salugpungan, ALCADEV, MISFI, TRIFPSS, SOS, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines—with the express goal of training our indigenous children—some as young as 5 years old—into child warriors.

And here in these terrorist training camps, our children experienced the horrors of sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancies, psychological abuse –all heaped on top of the deep wound of radicalization. And their final degradation into child warriors.

These schools of horror no longer exist though and in its place have been built Department of Education-accredited schools that are culture-sensitive to our indigenous brothers and sisters. A lot of these schools are last mile schools that can be found in the hinterlands where before government could not be felt.

Our President has said, “NOT UNDER MY WATCH.” And so this revolution of good governance has taken root under the Duterte administration that we hope will flourish and continue long after he steps down.

In the meantime, our marching orders are clear: we will end this outrage while he stands watch over the Filipino people with his fierce love.

It is under his guidance that the NTF ELCAC has taken an unprecedented path to end this 52 year scourge that has made of our country a nation of child warriors.

By building a culture of good governance.

By exposing the villains in our midst: communist terrorists who wear masks of decency, virtue, scholarship, statesmanship but are really soulless mercenaries who step over the dead bodies of our children with indifference.

By reminding the Filipino people what it is that the CPP NPA NDF have tried to make us forget: who we are.

A people in fiercest defense of its young. Who will hide them under its wings while it battles monsters and fiends who try to harm our most precious.

A people who mirror our pain, our rage, our shame that this tragedy has befallen us.

And for whom everyday is International Day of Condemnation Against the Use of Child Soldiers and will only cease being so until each child is safely home and until we have dealt the final blow on this terrorist organization, the CPP NPA NDF.

Undersecretary Lorraine Marie T. Badoy

NTF ELCAC Spokesperson