Military Hits NPA for Use of Children as Human Shields

PILI, Camarines Aug 5  -- The Philippine Army (PA) is "inviting" the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and all other groups advocating human rights to step into the reported use of children by the New People's Army (NPA) as human shields during a recent clash with soldiers in Camarines Sur.

"Placing children on the firing line is a grave human rights' violation more so that it was done for the purpose of using them as human shields like what the communist rebels did in a recent encounter with soldiers in Lupi, Camarines Sur," Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the PA's 9th Infantry Division based at Camp Elias Angeles here said on Thursday.

The CHR and all the other human rights groups working in the Philippine and keeping their eyes on the insurgency war should come forward into this matter so that once and for all, this conduct of the New People's Army (NPA) in carrying out their terroristic activities is checked and prevented in the near future, Pabustan said.

"Perhaps, the left-leaning Task Force Karapatan that has been very vocal in condemning alleged human rights violations of the military should also look into this and at least in a 'very brotherly' manner, scold the NPA for that inhuman act," he said.

In a report submitted to Pabustan, 1st Lt. Michael Castro, team leader of a PA contingent that figured in a clash with a band of NPA guerillas in Tible, a remote barrio of Lupi town last July 29 said the rebels used seven children including a three-month old infant to cover themselves from the assault initiated by the soldiers.

In his report, Castro said he and his team, acting on a tip by civilians about the presence of heavily armed rebels in the area conducted security operations and encountered the five-man guerilla band led by Sonny Custodio alias Ka Malik of the NPA-Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)- National Democratic Front's Kilusang Larangang Gerilya 73.

The rebels who were resting while waiting to be served with food by the occupants of the nipa hut they took shelter at were caught by surprise and fired at the soldiers despite being warned to surrender triggering a 30-minute firefight, Castro said.

The first volley of gunfire unleashed by the soldiers killed Custodio on the spot while his four companions continued engaging the soldiers who were forced to cease firing on noticing the presence of children inside the house where the remaining rebels positioned themselves, he said.

At the middle of the violent engagement, one of the rebels grabbed two of the children and used them as body shield as he retreated towards the nearby woods. He was firing his gun while retreating and holding the soldiers at bay, Castro narrated in his report.

The rebel was able to escape leaving behind his three companions who continued hold hostage the five other children inside the house, he continued.

Following a brief negotiation however and after assurance that they will not be hurt, the three gave up and came out of the house holding their rifles up in the air.

"After securing the place, we carefully entered the house and found the children and their mother all surnamed Saporco safe and unhurt. At that point, we were relieved of the worries about the safety of the children and all the other civilian occupants of the house," Castro said.

The two children aged seven and five taken as human shields by the rebel who escaped were recovered unhurt not far from the house. They were freed by their hostage taker after making it sure that he was not being pursued by the soldiers.

Castro said he decided to allow the escape of the other rebel as he gave preference to the safety of the two children.