At least 21 minors belonging to the Manobo tribe were said to have been rescued from a retreat house at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, the Philippine National Police claimed on Monday.
In a statement, PNP chief Debold Sinas said the minors were rescued from communist rebels at the retreat house.
However, the university said the minors were part of a 42-person delegation that participated in a modular schooling activity in March 2020.
They were supposed to return to their respective indigenous communities but the COVID-19 lockdowns prevented them from doing so.
“The rescue operation is a manifestation that the reds have been continuously engaged in recruiting minors to be trained as child warriors, which is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law” Sinas said.
Police said the minors were part of the Manobo tribe in Talaingod, Davao del Norte and communist front groups took them to the University of San Carlos Retreat House in Cebu City.
Citing its initial investigation, the police said the Lumad children were from a former alleged NPA-front Salugpungan school in Talaingod that was closed down by DepEd in 2019.
Their parents sought help from the local government of Davao Norte to locate their missing children for more than two years, according to the police.
The PNP said some of the minors told investigators that they underwent warfare training while in the custody of their handlers.
Police Regional Office 7 investigators are considering to file serious illegal detention, human trafficking and charges for violations of the International Humanitarian Law as well as Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict against the arrested suspects.