(e) Take all feasible measures to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed
conflict and shall take all necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation
and enforcement of the provisions of this Act;
(f) Take all the necessary measures to address the root causes of armed conflict
including, but not limited to, poor governance, issues of injustice and widespread
poverty and economic inequity that result in involving, affecting or displacing children;
(g) Continue to recognize its primary role in providing-effective protection and relief to
all children in situations of armed conflict;
(h) Continue to fulfill its responsibilities to end impunity and to prosecute those
responsible especially for grave child rights violations in armed conflict; and
(i) Ensure the right to participation of children affected by armed conflict in all its
policies, actions, and decisions concerning their rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Section 3. Scope of Application. - This Act shall apply to all children involved in, affected by or
displaced by armed conflict.
The application of this Act shall not affect the legal status of any party to the armed conflict.
Section 4. Interpretation of this Act. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed as precluding provisions in
existing Philippine laws, international human rights laws and related instruments, and international
humanitarian laws that are more conducive to the realization of the rights of children.
Section 5. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
(a) Abduction of children refers to the seizure, apprehension, taking in custody,
detention or capture of one or more children either temporarily or permanently by force,
threat of force or coercion, or deception for the purpose of any form of exploitation of
such children in situations of armed conflict;
(b) Acts of gender-based violence refer to physical or sexual violence other than rape,
and psychosocial harm that is committed against a person as a result of power
inequities that are based on gender roles. These include, among others battering,
sexual slavery and abuse of children, female genital mutilation, prostitution, forced
marriage, forced pregnancy or forced sterilization;
(c) Armed conflict refers to armed confrontations occurring between government forces
and one or more armed groups, or between such groups arising in the Philippine
territory. These shall include activities which may lead to, or are undertaken in
preparation of armed confrontation or armed violence that put children‘s lives at risk and
their rights violated;
(d) Armed group refers to an armed non-State actor or non-State entity engaged in
armed violence against the State or its government forces or against other non-State
armed groups, actors or non-State entities;
(e) Attacks on schools, hospitals, places of worship, child development or day care
centers, evacuation centers and other public places such as recreation parks,