Child rights advocates under the umbrella alliance Child Rights Network (CRN) lauded the passage of Republic Act No. 11188 or the “Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act.”
The law, which is a consolidation of House Bill 7442 primarily authored by Quezon City 4th District Rep. Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Senate Bill 2023 primarily authored by Sen. Vicente Sotto III and sponsored by Senator Risa Hontiveros, has been transmitted to the president for signature last November after both houses of Congress ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the said matter.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill on Jan. 10, according to an announcement by the Official Gazette released on Feb. 19.
RA 11188 seeks to protect children in situations of armed conflict from all forms of abuse and violence by declaring children as “zones of peace” and stipulating strict provisions that would allow the government to prosecute persons or groups violating the measure.
The new law is part of the Philippines’ compliance with international obligations concerning the protection of children that it is party to, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (particularly the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and various UN Security Council resolutions related to children affected by armed conflict.
Among the prohibited acts in the new law include killing, torture, intentional maiming, rape, abduction, recruitment of children into government armed forces and other armed groups, hamletting, food blockade, arbitrary detention, and denial of humanitarian access. Penalties go up to life imprisonment and a fine amounting to P5 million.
Child Rights Network is the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines. CRN has a membership of 46 organizations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (pr)
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