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Tuesday, September 5, 2017
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ONLY THOSE whose minds are addled with shabu won’t be angry at the death of innocent children. But it took the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos in Caloocan City for the public to express outrage over the indiscriminate killing of people in the government’s war on drugs. This is lamentable.
Remember five-year-old Danica May? Last year she died from a bullet hitting her head when unidentified gunmen fired at and targeted her grandfather, Maximo Garcia, while they were eating lunch in their house in Barangay Myombo, Dagupan City. Danica May, so far, is the youngest victim of killings by vigilante groups and law enforcers.
The Unity of Child Rights Advocates Against Inhumane Treatment and Neglect of Children, an alliance of institutions and non-government organizations, has counted over 30 children arbitrarily killed in the last 13 months under the bloody war on drugs of the current administration. Whoever thinks killing innocent lives and disregarding human rights will contribute to a successful war on drugs must be high on drugs themselves.
Children are the most vulnerable of sectors, especially those who come from poor families and communities. Poor children are easy targets of anti-social activities. Widespread poverty, lack of employment and livelihood opportunities for parents and inaccessible social services such as education expose children to violence and increase the probability of their participation in criminal activities.
What poor children need from the government is protection from syndicates who lure them into being criminals. The government should also fulfill its duty to end poverty through provision of economic opportunities and basic social services that will help develop children and the youth to become productive and responsible citizens.
The killing of children is a sheer violation of the rights of the child, enshrined in various international laws and local statutes. Under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the state should recognize that every child has an inherent right to life and ensure to the maximum extent possible their survival and development.
It is the primary responsibility of the state, as signatory to the UNCRC, to ensure the promotion and protection of children’s rights and welfare. Thus, although the number of deaths perpetrated by drug addicts and common criminals are disturbing, it is more alarming when the police who are expected to protect the people commit such crime.
While the campaign to eliminate illegal drugs must be sustained, the government should always consider the social context of poor children and their families. The problem should be resolved without compromising the lives and civil liberties of people, including those of children.
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