CHR readies child abuse raps vs Negros militants

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is preparing to file charges of child abuse against five members of a militants group in Negros Oriental for allegedly using a 13-year-old boy as a "guide" around the a village there, without the knowledge of his parents. A report on the Visayan Daily Star news site quoted CHR special investigator Jess Cañete as saying the charges against the five persons, alleged members of the human rights group "Karapatan," stemmed from a complaint from the boy's parents. Cañete said the incident occurred on Monday when the suspects allegedly took the boy with them to “guide" them around Sitio Subo, a small community in Sta. Catalina town. He said the boy's mother identified two of the five as Jonathan “John" Laforque, and a certain “Maben." The boy’s parents, Rochelle and Danilo Cogonon, said the activists reportedly did not seek their permission. They said they were attending a dialogue between Army troops and the local residents when the boy was taken. Cañete said the boy told him that although he was not harmed, he was forced to go with the activists because they allegedly threatened to spend the night at the boy's house if he refused. After showing them the way to at least two houses that the five persons wanted to visit, the boy said he walked more than a kilometer from where he left the group to his house. The mother said the incident was not the first time her son was allegedly invited by members of militant organizations, adding that few months back, some activists reportedly encouraged her son to join them. — LBG/VVP, GMANews.TV