AFP Human Rights Office chief, Col. Joel Alejandro Nacnac. (File photo)
MANILA – The use of "partisan units", also known as liquidation or assassination squads, violates the so-called Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday.
Col. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, chief of the AFP Human Rights Office, said with the use of such partisan units, the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) shows it would target anyone who stands up against them.
"Ang gustong pairalin ng grupong ito ay targetin at patayin yung mga hinihinala nilang mga kontra sa CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front). Katulad ng mga government employees, mga sundalo, pulis, at iba pang mga government employees na nandyan. Ngayon, pati po yung mga sibilyan, katulad ng mga nasa barangay at mga iba pang hindi (kampi) kumbaga sinesentensyahan nila ito (This group wants to target and kill those they suspect of opposing the CPP-NPA-NDF, such as government employees, soldiers, police officers, and other government employees, as well as civilians, those in the villages and others who are non-allies. It’s like they are sentencing them)," Nacnac said in a Laging Handa briefing.
Such actions, he said, violate several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"Isa-isahin ko po ang mga violation na ito sa mga artikulo ng Declaration of Human Rights. Una, is Article 3, ito po yung Right to Life. Kung sino po yung tina-target nila, kung pinatay nila yan, e di mawawalan sya ng buhay at (violation) agad ang CPP-NPA-NDF doon sa gagawin nilang pag-assassinate sa kanilang mga target (I will list the violations of the articles of the Declaration of Human Rights one by one. First is Article 3, the right to life. Whoever is their target, if they kill him, he loses his life. The CPP-NPA-NDF clearly violates that right when they assassinate their targets),” Nacnac said.
Also violated is Article 10 of the declaration or the right of an accused to a public trial, he said.
"Hindi po pwedeng kangaroo court na pinapairal nila na meron silang listahan, may hit list po itong mga ito and vina-violate nga po nila itong Article 10, the right to public trial (They cannot enforce a kangaroo court where they have a list, a hit list, and this violates Article 10, the right to a public trial)," Nacnac said.
He said those facing trial are presumed innocent until proven guilty under Article 11 of the declaration.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
