The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) stressed that the recent encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental should not be taken lightly.
A total of 19 individuals were killed in the incident, including two Filipino-Americans, a student leader, and a local journalist.
Among the fatalities were two minors, identified as 16-year-old Jolinda Jimena and 17-year-old Dexter Patoja.
In a statement, the NTF-ELCAC said the recruitment of children into armed conflict constitutes a serious violation of international and domestic laws, including International Humanitarian Law, Republic Act No. 7610, and obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.
NTF-ELCAC Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. emphasized that those responsible must be held accountable for violations of both domestic and international law.
He added that the situation calls for stricter vigilance among families, communities, schools, and organizations—both in the Philippines and abroad—to ensure that individuals, especially the youth, are protected from harm.
