AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFP-CLOAC) director, Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac (Screengrab from RTVM)
MANILA – The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) has continued to defy International Humanitarian Laws (IHL).
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recorded 111 more cases of IHL violations, ranging from using child warriors, destruction of civilian properties, unabated use of landmines and willful killings only in the first half of 2021 on top of the 1,506 violations committed since 2010.
Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, director of the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFP-CLOAC), during Monday's virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), reported that with these new IHL violations, the number of heinous crimes by the CPP-NPA-NDF against the Filipino people and humanity has ballooned to 1,617.
Nacnac also said the 1,506 IHL violations previously committed by the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) from 2010 to 2020 are now being investigated by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
These same set of cases were also submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to be passed on to local courts that have jurisdiction over them—charging them with violation of the country's localized human rights laws including Republic Act (RA) 9851.
These atrocities, which are deemed heinous under the various Protocols of the Geneva Conventions, continue to increase as the CPP-NPA-NDF become more desperate and ruthless, with the recent incidents involving torching a number of heavy equipment in Northern Samar owned by construction companies tasked to finish government projects in the province.
Nacnac said of the recorded 1,617 IHL violations, there were 309 incidents of willful killings, 199 incidents of using anti-personnel mines (APMs), 560 incidents of children involved in armed conflict, 542 incidents of destruction of properties, and seven other IHL violations.
A total of 458 people were killed in these incidents.
Nacnac said the number of casualties (injured or killed) from the CTGs’ willful killings hit 405, 32 of which happened only during the first semester of this year.
The AFP-CLOAC report showed that out of these casualties, 325 were civilians and 80 were from the military.
Nacnac added that Region 13 (Caraga) recorded the highest number of willful killings with 52.
On the use of APMs which is prohibited under the Ottawa Convention of 1997 or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, the CPP-NPA-NDF has killed a total of 42 and wounded 217 people. These include the killing of football star Kieth Absalon and his cousin Nolven in Masbate City on June 6.
Nacnac said of the 560 incidents of using children as armed combatants, eight were killed, 11 were wounded, five were rescued, and at least 470 surrendered.
He also said 119 of these incidents happened in Region 11 (Davao region)
He added that out of the 542 incidents of destroying civilian properties, 117 incidents happened in Region 13 alone.
Nacnac reported the cases in observance of the International Humanitarian Law Day (IHLD) on Aug. 12 and the whole month of August as IHL Month (IHLM) as mandated by Executive Order No. 134 of 1999 in support of said IHLD and IHLM.
He said the AFP adheres to the enforcement of IHL through Administrative Order (AO) No. 35 creating the Mechanics of Enforcement of the IHL headed by the DOJ.
AFP fully committed to IHL
NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for International Affairs, Peace Process and Human Rights, Undersecretary Severo Catura, meanwhile, said having the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict is concrete proof of the country's steadfast commitment to IHL, being the only country that has a military unit professionalizing the adherence to IHL.
This made the AFP “professionals" for having the "most humane way of handling IHL violations."
"The rules applied and implemented are very professional. Hindi tayo pumapatay ng mga nahuhuling CTGs," Catura said.
"We have followed the many cases because our government is compelled to fulfill its responsibilities on IHL, it is very important that this was affirmed by the people. Tayo ang gumagalaw sa mga (We are looking into) violations because it was reported by the victims themselves. Ito ang (This is the) value of our pursuit of IHL," he added.
30 CTG leaders, members surrendered after SONA
On the other hand, NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson for Mass Media Engagements and Fact-checker Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco reported that around 30 leaders and members of the NPA surrendered and returned to the fold of the law just days after President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26.
"These 30 include Ariane Jane Ochate Ramos alias “Marikit”. Marikit was the secretary of Guerrilla Front 55, Sub-Regional Committee 5, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee responsible for various atrocities in the district of Paquibato," Egco said.
"Also, included in the 30 who surrendered is Eduardo S. Genelsa alias "Ka Lando" of Barangay Bongabong, Pantukan, Davao de Oro. He served dual positions as commander of the Pulang Bagani Company 3 and staff for Southern Mindanao Regional Committee," he added.
He added, "Si Ka Lando po spent 42 years holding various top positions in the NPA ranks and was involved in numerous raids and armed confrontations against police and army installations and personnel that took place in various parts of southern Mindanao starting in 1979."
"So after the President's SONA on July 26, 30 yielded and have joined their families and living a normal life now," he said.
IP leader bares CTG exploitation of IP youths
Meanwhile, Datu Jovany Diarog, a member of Mindanao Indigenous People (IP) Youth Organization and a former NPA cadre of “Front Committee 20”, narrated his experience on how he was deceived by the CTGs when he was young, initially groomed as a scholar but later transformed to a communist recruiter of young IPs to join their ranks.
Diarog said the CTGs held all his credentials upon graduation and was told to undergo a "back service of five years" by giving lectures to IPs, recruiting IP youth and students, and bringing them to schools like the San Carlos University in Cebu and even to the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Diarog recounted that he will accompany his recruits, "kahit mga underage at walang pahintulot ang mga magulang" (even without permission from parents), to anti-government rallies who will eventually become members of the Revolutionary Integration Program of the NPA. There, the recruits were radicalized and taught to hate the government and military troops who will supposedly torture them if they were caught.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PR)
