Troops in ‘child warrior’ case restricted; probe continues

By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 04:39pm (Mla time) 04/27/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- An Army platoon that figured in the death of a nine-year-old girl initially tagged a communist "child warrior" in Compostela Valley province has been restricted to battalion headquarters pending the results of an investigation into the incident, a military spokesman said.

Armed Forces public information officer Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro clarified that the investigation into the case was never suspended.

"The provision of the restriction is they cannot go out of the camp without permission. The purpose is to ensure that they will be available during the conduct of the investigation," Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

On March 31, troops engaged suspected New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in Kahayag village, New Bataan province, leaving nine-year-old Grecil Gelacio and a soldier dead.

The military initially branded the girl a "child warrior," claiming she was seen carrying an M16 rifle.

The platoon leader in the incident was identified as Second Lieutenant Francis John Gabawa. The girl's family has filed murder charges against him.

Interviewed on Wednesday, Gabawa's commander in the 1001st Infantry Battalion, Brigadier General Carloz Holganza, said the investigation had been suspended since the girl's father, Gregorio Gelacio, refused to cooperate in the inquiry.

Explaining Holganza's statement, Bacarro said: "I will just clarify that the suspended part of the investigation was on the father, but all others, the participants [in the incident], the investigation is ongoing."


Copyright 2007 INQUIRER.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.