By James Mananghaya - Philippine Star
Read more of the article on PhilStar.com.Children between the ages of 12 and 14 act as armed bodyguards for politicians in Mindanao, a Muslim youth leader revealed yesterday.
“I went around one of the provinces in central Mindanao recently to look for a mosque to pray, and then I saw these armed children, mostly 12 to 14 years old, who are working for a local government official as bodyguards,” Revi Sani, a member of the Philippine karate team and a multi-awarded Muslim youth leader from Marawi City, told The STAR.
“Instead of being given proper education, these kids are being exposed to danger. Instead of holding pens and books, they are holding high-powered pistols and rifles. How can they match the police or the soldiers who are trained in combat? They should be saved otherwise they would die early.”
Sani, son of Sultan Punduma Sani, one of the founders of the Moro National Liberation Front in the 1970’s, said these children are being lured to work as bodyguards for politicians because of the lack of alternative channels where they could use their youthful energy.
