Plea not to bomb schools

HUMAN rights groups have asked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to withdraw his threat to order air strikes against tribal schools he accused of teaching students to become communist rebels. Human Rights Watch said such an attack will constitute a war crime.

The US-based group said yesterday international humanitarian law “prohibits attacks on schools and other civilian structures unless they are being used for military purposes.” It added that “deliberately attacking civilians, including students and teachers”, is a war crime.