REDS' ATROCITIES. AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict chief, Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac (left), submits a total of 1,672 incidents of IHL violations of the communist terrorist group to CIDG chief, Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro (right). in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Wednesday (Oct. 6, 2021). The AFPCLOAC also submitted the list to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s Legal Cooperation Cluster. (Photo courtesy of AFP)
MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) on Wednesday submitted to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) a total of 1,672 cases and incidents of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations committed by the communist terrorist group (CTG) from 2010 up to the first semester of this year.
“During the first semester of CY (Calendar Year) 2021, a total of 166 IHL atrocities of CTGs were recorded by the AFP. These numbers are expected to rise as AFP units continue to monitor and submit reports on the IHL violations of the CTGs,” AFPCLOAC director Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac said in a letter addressed to CIDG chief, Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro.
The AFPCLOAC also submitted the list to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s Legal Cooperation Cluster (NTF-ELCAC LCC) Head and Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Villanueva-Miranda on October 5.
He added that these CTG atrocities should not go unpunished.
The list includes incidents of the CTG’s use of child soldiers, destruction of civilian properties, usage of anti-personnel mines, willful killings, and other IHL violations that were monitored by AFP units in the field.
The submission complies with the request of the NTF-ELCAC for further details on these cases and incidents which was presented during the NTF-ELCAC LCC Conference last September 8.
"With your assistance and support, we may be able to put a stop to the CTGs violations of HR (human rights) and IHL as contained in Republic Act 9851. The AFP, through the AFPCLOAC, will continuously coordinate with you on this matter,” Nacnac said.
In a statement on Thursday, PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the police force will use the list in its legal offensive against the CTG.
Eleazar said that he had already tasked the CIDG to expedite the review of all the documents turned over by the AFP which are all related to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front'S (CPP-NPA-NDF) violations of the IHL
“The Philippine National Police confirms the acceptance of the documents submitted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to our CIDG. These documents will be used in our legal offensive against those responsible for these human rights violations and I have already tasked our Legal Service and other concerned units to assist the CIDG in expediting all the preparations for prosecution,” he added.
Recently, the CIDG also filed several cases against CPP founder Jose Maria Sison for the recruitment of minors for its armed wing, which, according to the cases it filed, usually starts with the recruitment of students to join its legal front organizations.
Eleazar said this move only shows the strengthened coordination among government agencies that are in unity in combatting communist insurgency in the Philippines.
“This only proves that the coordination among all the concerned government agencies are strong and our efforts to put an end to the more than five decades of violence, extortion, and other criminal and terroristic activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the country,” Eleazar said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (with report from Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
