House OKs bill seeking to protect children in armed conflicts

MANILA - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 7442, which seeks to provide special protection to children in armed conflicts.

Voting 232-7, the lower chamber approved the proposed measure authored by Quezon City 4th District Rep. Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr.

Under the bill, children in situations of armed conflict shall have the right of special respect and protection against any form of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violation.

The state must also "take all feasible measures to prevent the recruitment, re-recruitment, use or displacement of children involved in armed conflict."

Among the prohibited acts included in the bill are rape of children, taking children as hostages, and refusal of humanitarian assistance to children.

Kabataan party-list voted against the measure.

"Children do need protection, but more often than not, it is not protection from so-called "armed conflict" but protection from state violence," said Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago.

"Indubitably, this proposed legislation does more harm than good. Primarily, it does not resolve the root problem of armed conflict. Instead, it refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the concerns and roots of armed conflict - the continuous exploitation and oppression of the Filipino people." - with reports from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News