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A year has passed since the death of Grecil Buya and the number of
children who are victims of militarization is growing, the
Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC), a child rights
organization in Southern Mindanao, said.
On March 31, 2007, a 9-year-old girl named
Grecil Buya was presented to the media by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines as a 12 year-old boy and a child-combatant killed in
action.
They said that the frail Grecil was seen
carrying an M-16, which was taller than her, and was very good in
maneuvering. All these incredible allegations were belied by
Grecil’s parents, classmates and friends. A month after the
incident, even the military conceded that Grecil was indeed a
civilian and not a combatant.
But the Commission on Human Rights vindicated
the perpetrators by justifying Grecil’s death as “collateral
damage.”
John Birondo, CRC advocacy officer, stressed
that their organization has already documented numerous children’s
rights violations this year.
“From January to March 2008 alone, CRC has
already documented 423 children-victims of intensified military
operations launched by the government. This is in cognizance of the
all-out war counter-insurgency program of the Arroyo
Administration”.
He added that more cases of children’s rights
violations remain undocumented.
The group said that the all-out war policy way
of the government, which is prioritized over the delivery of social
services, will definitely worsen the conditions of children and put
them in grave danger, thus rapidly increasing the numbers of the
child victims.
“The government should and must be true to its
mandate when it ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child. It must be sincere in upholding the rights of children
and protecting them from inhumane situations” Birondo said.
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