A look at the new law on protecting children during armed conflictMANILA, Philippines — Rights group Save the Children hailed the signing of Republic Act 11188 or the Special Protection for Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act. Lawyer Albert Muyot, Save the Children Philippines chief executive officer, stressed that war leaves permanent scars, especially on thousands of children living through armed conflict. “We hope this law will institutionalize protection and humanitarian assistance to children trapped in armed conflict areas,” he added in a statement. President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11188 into law on January 10, but the signing was made public only on Tuesday. Under RA 7610, children “shall not be the object of the attack and shall be entitled to special respect,” and would not be recruited to become members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or other armed groups.

Source: Philippine Star February 20, 2019 10:41 UTC