Youth & Children

Philippines: Militarization Means Death and Trauma to Children

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Children?s Rehabilitation Center

Southern Mindanao Region Office

Press Statement

April 16, 2007

Militarization means death and trauma to children

?Pagkakita nako sa patay?ng lawas ni Grecil nga gisakay sa kangga, nakulbaan ko ug nahadlok kay nahuna-hunaan nako nga kung sa ako ?to nahitabo.?, (when I saw the dead body of Grecil laid on the ?balsa?, I was nervous, afraid and thinking what if it was me who was killed).

This statement was tearfully narrated by a girl during a psycho-social therapy session in a National Interfaith Psycho-social First Aid Mission (NIPFAM) at Simsimen, Brgy. Kahayag, New Bataan last April 14. Participating in the activity were 34 children whose ages ranging from 4-14 years old from Purok 2, 5, 6, and 7.

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Was ComVal Girl a Guerrilla? AFP Now Unsure

DAVAO CITY — The military on Friday appeared to have changed its position that Grecil Buya was a child combatant of the communist New People’s Army. Grecil was the nine-year-old girl from Compostela Valley who was killed during an encounter between communist rebels and soldiers on March 31 and whom the military earlier tagged as a member of the New People’s Army.

Instead, the military, which earlier said that soldiers were forced to shoot and kill Grecil because she allegedly had a firearm, now says it was not even sure whether the soldiers or the rebels shot the girl.

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The Happy Life and Violent Death of Grecil Buya


(Photo courtesy of MindaNews)

Grecil Buya was a lively girl who liked to play with spiders and thought TV noontime show host Willie Revillame was a great artist. She excelled in school, finishing Grade Two with honors and with the award “Most Neat and Clean.” She took on chores, like minding the carabao. On March 31, the nine-year-old girl was killed by soldiers during an encounter with the New People’s Army. The soldiers claimed the nine-year-old girl aimed an Armalite rifle at them, forcing them to shoot her. Family and friends were saddened by Grecil’s death but are outraged at the allegation that she was a communist guerrilla.

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