National Security Adviser Eduardo Año (PNA file photo)
MANILA – The National Security Council (NSC) on Monday condemned the communist insurgents following another unprovoked "bomb and gun attack" by its members which wounded three people, including a barangay captain, in Masbate province over the weekend.
"We strongly condemn the latest atrocities by the New People’s Army (NPA) against unarmed civilians in Barangay Bonifacio, Uson, Masbate, where a local government official and two others were seriously injured following a bomb and gun attack by members of the communist terrorist group, CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front)," said National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año, who is also head of the NSC, in a statement.
Incidentally, this latest atrocity of the NPA took place on Aug. 12 which marks the global observance of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Day.
He added the continued use by the NPA of banned landmines and its persistent attacks on civilian targets are both gross violations of international and domestic laws.
"The perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly act will not go unpunished. Justice will be served for Barangay Captain Democrito Rivera, Romneck Lumabab and Alex Balayan, all of Barangay Bonifacio, who were shot by a five-man NPA hit team after being hit by a remotely-detonated explosive device," Año said.
This latest terror attack perpetrated by the NPA only shows the group’s brand of violence that placed it as the 15th deadliest terrorist organization in the world as indicated in the 2023 Global Terrorism Index.
"We commiserate with the victims and their families and the countless others who were hurt, maimed or killed by this godless and inhumane communist armed group. This terrorist group deserves no less than the condemnation of all freedom and peace-loving Filipinos here and all over the world," Año emphasized.
He added that the NPA is already a spent force and a dying group of ideologues gasping for its last breath.
"Rest assured that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will be relentless in hunting down the NPA remnants who continue to sow terror in our communities with impunity if only to stay relevant and project a false image of strength," Año pointed out.
He also reiterated the Philippine government’s strong commitment to uphold the tenets of the IHL of the Geneva Convention and Republic Act 9851 (An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity).
Likewise, he said the Philippines continues to uphold the enforcement of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.
"In light of this recent atrocity, let us continue to provide the national government a strong hand and vibrant mechanisms – a whole-of-nation approach – through the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to finally end the more than five-decade reign of terror of the evil triumvirate, CPP-NPA-NDF," Año noted. (PNA)
