Human rights group KARAPATAN recently released a report saying that at least 28 children have been killed under President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III’s term in connection with his counter-insurgency program.
According to KARAPATAN, PNoy’s Oplan Bayanihan has been responsible for the death of 304 victims, 11% of which are children.
Out of these 28 children, twelve of them were from ethnic groups.
Killed on their own land
Cristine Palabay, secretary general of KARAPATAN said that PNoy’s ‘Tuwid na Daan’ is “as monstrous as Aquino and his soldiers.”
She also added, “To witness a seven- year-old girl shot by a drunken soldier and took her last breath before reaching the hospital is unbearable.”
She was referring to the incident where 7-year-old Sunshine Jabinez was shot by a stray bulllet in her spine. She was allegedly hit in the buttocks by a bullet discharged from the gun of a certain Baltazar Ramos of the 71st Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army.
He was apparently on a drinking spree with other soldiers near her home.
Another incident was cited in the report where two children were shot while playing and studying inside their home. In another case, two children who were walking ahead of their father were shot on the road even after they cried, “Mga bata lang mi!” (We’re just children!).”
More atrocities
In the days leading up to International Human Rights Day, KARAPATAN has been releasing data and reports regarding the state of extrajudicial killings in the country.
Further reports from the group said that ten women have been allegedly raped by military forces during PNoy’s regime, with seven of these victims being minors.
With six months left in PNoy’s term, the human rights group is hoping that these killings will be brought to light.
Read: 11-year-old killed by stray bullet outside his own home
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