The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denounced the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) on Friday, August 20, after government troops stormed its bomb-making facility in Dolores, Eastern Samar earlier this week.
Calling the communsit group as heartless, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año pointed out that the CPP-NPA's continued manufacture of anti-personnel mines (APM) "is against the law."
“Wala talaga silang konsiyensya at walang pakialam kung sino ang mapinsala, sundalo, pulis man o sibilyan, basta makapaghasik ng lagim at maagaw ang kapangyarihan mula sa gobyerno (They have no conscience and unmindful if soldiers, policemen, or civilians get hurt as long as they sow terror and grab power from the government),’’ Año said.
Año noted that the CPP-NPA "seems to have a short memory as they have conveniently forgotten" the murder of Far Eastern University football player Keith Absalon and his cousin who died in June due to an anti-personnel mine explosion in Masbate.
The use of landmines is a violation of the Ottawa Convention or the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty signed by 133 states and practiced in 164 state parties including the Philippines.
It prohibits the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of APMs which cause serious destruction and indiscriminately harm civilians, including children. The use of landmines is also a violation of Republic Act 9851 which penalizes crimes against International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Based on the reports of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 8 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Año said the Joint Task Force Storm of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) based in Catbalogan City launched ground, air and sea raids in Barangay Osmeña on July 16 after getting a tip from locals on an explosives manufacturing site and NPA camp in the area.
Nineteen NPA members died in the day-long encounter with no casualties from government forces while 29 high-powered firearms were seized from the communist terrorist groups (CTGs).
“The DILG congratulates the 8th Infantry Division for its successful operation against Communist Terrorists. This operation is a big blow to the terrorism-capacity of the CPP-NPA-NDF in Samar,” he added.
According to the AFP, at least 29 villages in Eastern Samar are still NPA strongholds while at least 45 new villages in the same province have already been cleared of CTGs.
“The CPP-NPA is fighting a losing battle. Habang may panahon pa ay sumuko na kayo at magbagong-buhay dahil kalian man ay hindi nagwawagi ang karahasan at kasamaan (While there is still time just surrender and turn a new leaf in life as violence and evil deeds would not prevail),’’ said Año.
He also urged the NPA to grab the chance to reform and lead new lives through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), a complete package of assistance to former rebels (FRs).
So far, a total of 6,418 former rebels (FRs) and rebel sympathizers have laid down their arms and availed of ECLIP.
Of this number, 6,164 FRs have each received P15,000 immediate assistance; 3,744 were given P50,000 livelihood assistance; 1,430 have availed of firearms remuneration and 5,198 have each been granted with P21,000 reintegration through the DILG’s ECLIP.