October 08, 2017•Update: October 13, 2017
By Roy Ramos
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
The United Nations has removed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from its list of armed groups that recruit child warriors.
The delisting of the largest Moro rebel group marks a stride and victory toward realizing children’s rights in the Philippines, said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The UN Secretary-General, in a statement released by the UN office in Manila Friday, reported the completion of UN-MILF Actions Plan which started in February this year and resulted in the disengagement of 1,869 children from the ranks of MILF.
The recently released 2016 report showed that UN intervention has led to the delisting of two parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Philippines.
UNICEF wants to end recruitment and the use of children by armed groups. They plan to facilitate their access to appropriate support and services from government and development partners to facilitate their rights to health, education and protection.
“The MILF’s commitment to protect and promote the rights of children in their communities continues today, even as they are delisted from the UN report," said a statement by Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF representative in the Philippines as quoted by GMA News.
"Fostering lasting peace for children involves continued vigilance by all concerned, including the government, civil society, elders, parents and children themselves to ensure they are not involved in or used in armed conflict,” Sylwander added.
The report explained that the militants Abu Sayyaf group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the communist New People's Army have not put in place measures during the reporting period to improve the protection of children.
The body also reported 14 children killed and 24 others maimed which is one of the six grave violations the UN watches out for when reporting on children affected by armed conflict.
It also revealed that the crisis in Marawi which has raged for more than four months has caused 359,000 individuals to flee their homes, 205,000 of them children.
The MILF, a rebel group based in southern Philippines, signed a peace agreement with the government in March 2014 but has yet to fully implement it.
