The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has condemned the "horrible aerial bombardment" done by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on four barangays in Gonzaga, Cagayan last Jan. 29.
ICHRP said that reports it received stated that two FA (fighter and attack) jets dropped around 30 bombs in four waves -- at 4:30 a.m., 5 a.m., 9:40 a.m., and 12 noon -- in the municipality of Gonzaga that has a population of 41,680 people in 25 different barangays.
It said there were three helicopters that carried out indiscriminate aerial straffing with 50 caliber machine guns. The mountain in Sitio Bagsang, Barangay Sta. Clara was heavily affected, including Barangays Sta. Isabel, Sta. Teresita, and Magrafil, it added.
The ICHRP called the AFP’s acts as “violation of international humanitarian law” and demanded an immediate and thorough independent investigation as well as humanitarian relief for those affected by the airstrikes.
"The 5th Infantry Division had already claimed to have wiped out the New People’s Army in the area and there have been no reports of NPA operations in the area in the most recent months. This is a case of indiscriminate military attack on a civilian population," said Peter Murphy, chairperson of the ICHRP.
"The population of farmers and indigenous people have been subjected to ‘red tagging’ and forced/fake surrender of alleged NPA fighters, which are notorious forms of political repression in the Philippines," he added.
ICHRP is a global network of organizations with concerns on human rights situation in the Philippines and “committed to campaign for just and lasting peace in the country.”