Approved BBL version should prohibit recruitment of minors as child-soldiers –solon

A children's rights group on Wednesday called on legislators to pass a version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that will prohibit the recruitment of minors as child-soldiers and protect children affected by armed conflict in the region.

In a news release, Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) and its vice chairman, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat. said children's needs should be a top priority in the BBL.

"When it is the children’s future that is at stake, we should not let the adults do all the talking," Baguilat said. "The voice of children, no matter how small, should be heard."

The BBL — a product of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front — aims to establish a new political entity in Mindanao and provide the basic structure of its government. It is currently pending in Congress.

The PLCPD specifically said the House of Representatives should strengthen its version of the BBL by including provisions banning recruitment of individuals under 18 years of age by any armed group.

It added that the Senate's version of the BBL that protects and promotes the rights of children should be preserved.

On August 10, Senator Bongbong Marcos, who is in charge of the Senate committee handling the draft of the bill, presented the substitute BBL to his colleagues in a caucus. —Andrei Medina/KBK, GMA News