THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) hit the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for its baseless condemnation of what it deems “New People’s Army violations” of the rules of war and the international humanitarian law.
The CHR recently condemned the armed action mounted by the NPA-Sorsogon against the headquarters of the 504th Police Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Company Philippine National Police at Barangay Esperanza, Pilar Sorsogon on the evening of February 28.
Killed in the armed action was P/Cpl. Ryan M. Atos while another police officer was wounded. CPP information officer Marco Valbuena stressed that the armed action mounted by the NPA in Sorsogon was a legitimate military operation and is consistent with the rules of war and international humanitarian law.
“It targeted a police detachment and no civilian was hurt,” he said. NPA-Sorsogon’s spokesperson Samuel Guerrero said that the operation was part of the continuing response of the NPA to the Sorsogonanon’s desire to give justice to all the victims of the US-Duterte regime’s armed forces terrorism.
Apart from the incident, the CHR has “condemned” the NPA’s armed actions several times especially in the Bicol region. Valubena pointed out that the CHR was “quick to condemn” the NPA but has accomplished next to none in investigating the rampant crimes perpetrated by the police and military against civilians.
“The CHR, tasked primarily to serve as human rights ombudsman, has not made any statement or investigation into the rampant cases of human rights violations perpetrated by AFP and PNP forces, including the numerous cases of civilians killed and unlawfully arrested in Sorsogon,” said Valbuena. Since 2020, there have been at least 12 cases of extrajudicial killings against unarmed civilians. At least 24 civilians have been red-tagged, arbitrarily arrested and charged with non bailable crimes to prolong their unjust detention in the province.
The AFP has also issued at least six fake press releases to make it appear that unarmed peasants killed by its soldiers were killed in armed encounters. The worst among these is the massacre of five peasants in Barangay Dolos, Bulan on May 8, 2020.
“We haven’t heard the CHR issue a statement or conduct an investigation into these cases,” added Valbuena.
Photo courtesy kodao.org
