ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 29, 2014) – A six-year old girl was reportedly abused at a refugee shelter in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, but officials remain silent about the rape, a refugee leader said on Sunday.
The victim was repeatedly abused by her 12-year old neighbor, but the incident was not even reported to authorities, according to Gammar Hasan, one of several leaders of refugees fighting for the rights and protection of thousands of people, mostly Muslim villagers, displaced by fighting last year between armed members of the Moro National Liberation Front and security forces.
There was no immediate statement from either the Department of Social Welfare or Development or camp managers at the Don Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in Roseller Lim Avenue where the girl was sexually assaulted.
Hasan urged DSWD regional director Zenaida Arevalo and the police to investigate the reports and take necessary actions to protect the victim and other refugees from future sexual assault.
“We urged Director Zenaida Arevalo to recall all newly appointed or hired peacekeepers, camp managers and social workers because they can’t handle their job. Let us have our own selection within our communities of internally displaced people which we know will work for the welfare of these refugees,” he said.
Thousands of refugees remain in the filthy sports complex as the government continues to rebuild communities destroyed by three weeks of fighting in September where more than 400 people were killed and wounded in the violence. The clashes displaced over 120,000 people. (Mindanao Examiner)
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