AFP will try to rescue child soldiers; will return fire if attacked

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesperson, at a press briefing in May.

 Philippines — The military on Monday vowed to rescue child soldiers being employed by the Maute terrorists in Marawi City but admitted that it cannot do much if they are armed and are fighting alongside the militants.

 

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces spokesman, said the military has received “disturbing” narratives about the Maute group using children and hostages to resist the government forces. He said most of the child warriors are teenagers.

 

“And disturbing as it is, our troops are doing their best to avoid any casualty among these children that are being employed. But if in the event that they are armed and they bear arms and are involved in the fighting, there’s nothing much that we can do. Similarly, with the hostages who are being forced,” Padilla said in a press briefing in Malacañang. 

 

“Our efforts on the ground are also focused on rescuing civilians who are still trapped. And there are still quite a number, especially elderly that are monitored to still be in the area and we will seek to rescue them,” he added.

 

Padilla said soldiers take “appropriate measures” allowable by the Geneva Convention to defend themselves.

 

“But every time we have an opportunity to rescue a child or an individual who is being forced into the fight, we will do that,” the military spokesman said.

 

“You have to help a wounded child immediately. We do not rush to shoot a fleeing child even if he is armed. If we could, we would just disable him but we won’t kill him,” he added.

 

Padilla said child soldiers and foreign fighters are among the 80 to 100 Maute militants clashing with government troops in Marawi City.

Some terrorists escaped from Marawi

“At the very beginning of the conflict, there were others who may have made their way out of the city because initially the first week, we did not have a foolproof containment of the area and many of these have escaped, still pose a threat to some of the nearby areas,” Padilla said.

 

“And that is why we have instituted appropriate security measures to guard against the threat that may come from these individuals. They are not groups anymore. They are just individuals or small groups, but still the threat that they pose is clear and present,” he added.

 

A total of 379 terrorists, 89 government troopers and 39 civilians have been killed since fighting erupted in Marawi City last May 23. Security forces have so far rescued 1,723 civilians and recovered 451 firearms.

 

Security officials are no longer setting deadlines for the operations after repeatedly missing self-imposed targets.

 

Cash donations for the families of slain soldiers have reached P3.22 million while those for Marawi evacuees have totaled P765,727.21. Donors include the Philippine Airlines Foundation, which turned over a P2-million check to the military last Friday.

Military to deploy engineering brigades

Padilla said the military is completing the preparations for the deployment of engineering brigade to battle-ravaged Marawi City.

 

He said the soldier engineers have undertaken projects in conflict areas including Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

 

“For the early recovery stage, for the moment, it is just the preparation of the temporary resettlement, because once the coast is clear, they will provide the go- signal to move evacuees out of the evacuation centers into their temporary shelters so that they can have a decent place to stay with a bit of privacy for their families and start rebuilding from there,” Padilla said.

 

“The Bangon Marawi inter-agency task force is currently doing their homework, so that when the go-signal is provided, they can lean forward to execute the plan of full recovery and rehabilitation,” he added.

 

Padilla said the government has started conducting damage assessment in some areas but could not complete the task until Marawi has been cleared of terrorists.