MILF ‘frees’ 50 child soldiers
CAMP NAVARRO, Zamboanga City -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) released Sunday about 50 children who acted as couriers and support staff to their fathers and relatives who are members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).
The children were turned over Sunday, February 19, to representatives of the government, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and MILF in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao province.
MILF Vice Chairman Gadzali Jaafar, who represented MILF Chairman Al Hadj Murad Ibrahim, said the turnover was done to show the MILF's sincerity in supporting the peace process.
He said the rebel group wants the next generation to benefit from the peace efforts being exerted by the government and the MILF.
"We need to unite for a better tomorrow because we believe that there is a better tomorrow," said Jaafar.
Presidential Peace Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza, on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, lauded the move, saying "the government is happy that the endeavor has finally come to reality."
He said he will talk to the other secretaries on how the government can provide support to the children in order to improve their social well-being and their communities.
The turnover Sunday was witnessed by Presidential Peace Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza; Major General Carlito Galvez Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief; Major General Datuk Wira Zamrose, head of mission of the International Monitoring Team; and some local officials of Mindanao. It was facilitated by Unicef and Jaafar, along with the different base commanders of the BIAF.
Unicef country representative Lotta Sylwander said the ceremony was a historical event, since the BIAF is the first and only armed group in the world that successfully turned over children who were involved directly or indirectly in previous armed engagements.
The Unicef, which is responsible in profiling and identifying children among the BIAF members, said that 60 percent of the children in their list are boys, while 40 percent are girls.
The group is actively helping countries that have internal and external conflicts, specifically looking into the welfare of the children who are commonly the victims of war.
The initial number of 50 is the first batch of children out of the 1,858 yet to be released from the statistical data of the international organization.