Senator Nancy Binay said there is no amount of apology or remorse that could ease the pain of the families of Far Eastern University football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin Nolven Absalon who were killed in a landmine blast.

Both perished in Barangay Anas, Masbate City when they were biking in a landmine that blasted last June 6.

“Land mines are an evil plague that have turned fields into deathtraps. This incident should not happen under a civilized society,” Binay said in a statement.

Binay expressed grief and said she shares the pain the family, relatives and friends of the two victims are going through in facing the tragedy.

“May God grant the Absalon family peace during this painful time,” she said.

“I stand with everyone else in condemning the senseless deaths of Keith and Nolven, and denounce this act of violence and irresponsible action by the New People’s Army,” the senator stressed.

Binay made the statement after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) took responsibility for the tragedy and expressed “deep remorse” for the deaths of the victims.

But the senator said “no amount of apology, justification or remorse would suffice to ease the pain over the loss of lives.”

“Senseless deaths have been happening far too much. Keith and Nolven didn’t deserve to die. No one does,” she stressed.

Sen. Leila de Lima also joined in the call for justice for the Absalons.

“Whether deliberate or inadvertent, armed actions that led to the death of non-combatants and civilians are a crime under our penal law and a violation of international humanitarian law,” De Lima said.

De Lima said she denounce the attack committed by the communist rebels “in the same spirit and measure that I denounce attacks on civilians by those trigger-happy in our uniformed personnel.”

“There can be no compromise on human rights. Killings of unarmed civilians are a plan crime regardless of uniform and side of the political fence,” the senator emphasized.