THE Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday warned the Philippine military against committing what it calls “war crimes” as it chided President Duterte’s threat to bomb tribal schools.
“By calling for an attack on schools, Duterte is directing the military to commit war crimes. International humanitarian law—the laws of war—prohibits attacks on schools and other civilian structures unless they are being used for military purposes. Deliberately attacking civilians, including students and teachers, is also a war crime,” HRW, an international human-rights groups, said in a statement.
The group was reacting to Duterte’s threat during a news conference shortly after his second State of the Nation Address on Monday.
Duterte was quoted as saying he will bomb the schools and will use the Philippine Air Force, because the tribal schools are allegedly operating illegally and teaching children to rebel against the government.
The tirade against allegedly “subversive” schools that teach indigenous lumad children to rebel against the government came after Duterte declared an end to the peace negotiations with the New People’s Army (NPA).
HRW said indigenous-run “peoples’ schools” have long been targets of the military and paramilitary forces, which accuse them of being “training grounds” for the NPA.
Government security forces in Mindanao have largely escaped accountability for such abuses, it added.
“President Duterte should publicly retract his threat of violence against tribal schools before the military acts on them,” HRW said.
HRW added there are laws and Department of Education (DepEd) guidelines prohibiting the military’s use of schools. HRW said the law and DepEd guidelines are being ignored.
Instead of denying Filipino children their right to safe education, Duterte should sign the Safe Schools Declaration, an intergovernmental political commitment for the protection of students, teachers, schools and universities from attack during times of war, HRW added.
“Sixty-seven countries have now signed the declaration. It’s clearer than ever the Philippines should do likewise,” HRW said.