The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is deeply concerned by the death of Johndy Maglinte Helis, 16 years old, and Angel Rivas, 12 years old. UNICEF calls on the Philippine government to hold accountable the officers involved and points to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to the obligation that “children must be protected at all times and in all situations and their best interests must be the guiding principles in every action by government officials.“
Rivas, her sister and cousin, all members of the Manobo tribe, were shot without warning by soldiers in Lianga town, Surigao del Sur on June 15, while three others were able to escape and survive. Helis was shot by police who enforced an arrest warrant against the adult drug suspect Antonio Dalit on June 16 in Laguna.
Helis and Dalit were shot twice, according to the police officers while resisting. But Helis family states that he was handcuffed before killed. Both, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate. PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar assured to cooperate with the CHR.