Labor chief slams hiring of child combatants

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Published June 30, 2019, 5:32 PM
By Leslie Ann Aquino

The hiring of “child warriors” or minors recruited as child combatants is the

“highest form” of wrongful child labor, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III speaks before the media during a press
conference with President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Friday. The government
has imposed a ban on deployment of Filipino workers in Kuwait following the death
of domestic helpers due to alleged abuses of their employers. (Keith Bacongco)
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III
(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Definitely, it is the highest form of wrongful child labor,” he said in an

interview on the sidelines of the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor
2019 on Saturday.

“They are not only doing work. What they also do is fight the government as part of
the rebellion,” Bello added.

The Labor chief, however, admitted that he does not have an exact number of child
combatants in the country but reckoned they are probably in Mindanao.

“Most of them are likely in Mindanao. And majority of those recruited are the
minorities, who are lumads,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ma. Karen
Trayvilla, said they remain on track with the Philippine Development Plan target of
withdrawing 630,000 children from child labor by 2022.

“We are positive we can meet them. We are not promising, but we will give our best
effort since 2022 is approaching. We really need to expedite the process for the
profiling,” she said.

“Our withdrawal (of child laborers) could be low now. But it is moving. Withdrawal
is a difficult task. We have to make sure that they won’t return anymore,” added
Trayvilla.

On Friday, DOLE revealed that it had profiled 85,582 child laborers in 16 regions
in the country.

Of the said number, the Department said 18,651 were already referred to appropriate
agencies for the provision of services and assistance needed by the children and
their families.

Bello said the profiling of child laborers is their strategic way of withdrawing
children from child labor.

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