By Argyll Cyrus Geducos  The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) renewed the government's commitment to put an end to the recruitment of child combatants by the Communist Party of the Philippine-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). Peace Process chief-of-staff and spokesman Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor (PNA /MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Peace Process chief-of-staff and spokesman Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor gave the assurance after a 14-year old member of the CPP-NPA was rescued last week by government troops in the hinterland village of Mt. Malindang in Misamis Occidental. Mayor assured parents that the government will continue protecting their children against inhumane tactics used by the CPP-NPA. "'Di po dapat sila maging sundalo o kung anuman dahil unang-una, bawal ito sa International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at sa mga lokal na batas natin. Kaya mas binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang mga bata na sila ay mag-aral rather than sila ay makipaglaban sa gobyerno (Children shouldn't be used because it is against the IHL and our local laws. That's why we are working to give these children the chance to study than fight the government)," he said. According to Mayor, various line agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have programs that are designed to assist child warriors who have left the armed struggle or have been rescued by government forces from the rebel group. Once rescued, Mayor said the government will help the children reunite with their families and reintegrate them into mainstream society as peaceful and productive civilians. Mayor assured the child warriors and their parents that they won't be held liable. "Hindi po kakasuhan ang mga bata dahil ayon sa batas ay walang responsibility at liability ang isang minor dahil tine-take advantage lang ‘yung kanilang kabataan ng mga CPP-NPA (The children won't be charged because they are being taken advantage of by the CPP-NPA),” he said. “Hindi nila kasalanan iyon. Kaya ang tungkulin ng gobyerno ay maibalik sila sa hanay ng lipunan (That is not their fault. The government's duty is to bring them back to the fold),” he added. According to Mayor, part of the CPP-NPA's strategy is to brainwash children, instill fear and hatred in their young minds, and convince them to view the security sector as the enemy. Peace Process adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the communist rebels are destroying the future of the children instead of inspiring them to become upright, peaceful, and law-abiding citizens. He said the insurgents are molding the youth into child warriors with the sole purpose of fighting the government. "By using these child-warriors to fight their war with the government, the Reds have shown they have no dignity nor compassion to speak of. Imagine, these children should be holding pens and books, but instead are being trained to shoot rifles and kill people," he said. "All they (insurgents) care about is to achieve their goal at all costs, even at the expense of the lives of innocent children," he added.