The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has called on victims of human rights violations of the New People's Army (NPA) to file cases against the communist group to help end their decades-long reign of terror.
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Citing military records, AFP Chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said a total of 532 incidents of destruction to private properties were perpetrated by the NPA from 2010 to 2020.
In 2017, 87 cases of NPA destruction were recorded by law enforcers, the most number in a year. Meanwhile, the most number of NPA attacks were recorded in Caraga (Region 13) with 107 cases.
"The AFP enjoins all stakeholders and the rest of the Filipino people to actively participate in our peace and security efforts. Let us act together for a peaceful and progressive nation because all Filipinos deserve to enjoy life to the fullest," Sobejana said.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon, AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, said the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) should be "answerable to the humanitarian crimes they have been continously committing" against the Filipinos. The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.
"We call on all the civilians including business owners who are victims of humanitarian crimes perpetrated by the NPA to lodge their complaints with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR)," De Leon said.
Last Monday, De Leon attended a virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) where he listed down six communist attacks allegedly perpetrated by the NPA this month which constituted 10 violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
"The CPP led by Joma Sison should be answerable to the humanitarian crimes they have been continuously committing, particularly the instruction to produce, stockpile, and use anti-personnel mine that are destroying the human body and the dignity of our people, not only combatants but also the non-combatants," De Leon said.
Among these attacks were the burning down of privately-owned heavy equipment in Barangay Hagpa, Bukidnon on June 3; use of anti-personnel mines against civilians that killed athlete Keith Absalon and his cousin Nolven Absalon, and wounding of the latter’s 16-year-old son in Masbate on June 6; killing of a certain Ray Labustro in Masbate on June 8; and the recruitment of minors and use of child combatants in Agusan del Sur on June 14 and 15.
The most recent of the attacks was the destruction of million-peso worth private equipment at a construction site in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur on June 24 that resulted to the death of a certain Eldrin Daraman, watchman of the MR1 construction firm.
Brig. Gen. George Banzon, commander of the 901st Infantry Brigade in Surigao, said the NPA targeted privately-owned equipment being used in the ongoing diversion road project for the municipality of Lanuza.
The NPA usually attacks business establishments that they have been extorting if business owners refuse to give in to their demands, the official noted.
"We are reaching out to owners of construction companies undergoing construction projects in Surigao to please stop giving in to the NPA's extortion demands. Please give us information so that the military and police can correspondingly react to any attempt of extortion by the CTGs )," he said.