The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has worked with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the destruction of civilian-owned properties by the New People's Army (NPA) since 2010.
Col. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, chief of the AFP Human rights Office (AFPHRO), said Friday his office compiled a total of 532 incidents of NPA-perpetrated offenses against civilian properties in the past decade.
Most of the incidents involved arson committed by the communist rebels, he said.
"To come up with a comprehensive statistical analysis which may lead to the filing of appropriate charges of IHL (International Humanitarian Law) violations, our Office orchestrated the collection of data from lower AFP units and offices regarding the destruction of civilian owned property by the CNN (Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front of the Philippines)," Nacnac said.
He noted that the destruction of civilian properties constitute violation of the victims' human rights, the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and local laws such as Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
He said the communist groups' acts of destroying civilian properties have shown a "nationwide pattern of organized, continuing, and systematic scheme as part of their violent struggle."
The reports gathered by the AFPHRO have been submitted to the CHR last Thursday.
"(The) data collected by the AFPHRO from field units provided factual and verifiable basis for the report. The figures which had been recorded as of date are expected to rise as AFP units continue their inquiry and tender reports on the activities of non-state armed groups," Nacnac said.
Nacnac vowed that the AFPHRO will continue to monitor human rights and International Humanitarian Law violations by non-State armed groups such as the CPP-NPA-NDF.
Meanwhile, AFP chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay applauded the efforts of the AFPHRO for "continuously exposing" the offenses of the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
"The groups' persistent disregard of human rights and International Humanitarian Law by destroying civilian properties should not be targeted in the course of an armed conflict," Gapay said.
"With the assistance and support of the Commission on Human Rights, we will be able to put a stop to the CPP-NPA-NDF’s criminal acts. The AFP, through its Human Rights Office, will continuously coordinate with the appropriate agencies in this whole-of-nation approach towards just and lasting peace," he noted.
Gapay stressed that the AFP will "remain faithful to the rule of law" and "steadfast in upholding its constitutional duty to protect the people against all forms of threats, and let lasting peace and security prevail."