CPP dares military to file case over landmines

MANILA, Philippines –  The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) yesterday challenged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to make true its threat to file a case over the illegal use of landmines by the New People’s Army (NPA).

“We dare the AFP to formally file a complaint before the JMC and even international courts and try to prove their claim of the NPA’s violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the international rules of warfare, particularly the protocols on the use of mines and explosives,” the CPP said in a statement.

“Until then, all these complaints by the AFP over the so-called illegal use of landmines by the NPA are nothing but blabber,” it said.

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta on Monday accused the NPA of violating the CARHRIHL when it ambushed several policemen in Rizal, Cagayan last Sunday.

Mabanta said they were filing a notice before Amnesty International and other international human rights watchdogs over the NPA’s use of landmines.

“We are looking at other venues to lodge our complaints,” he said.

Mabanta said the military could not expect anything over the landmine issue if the notice is filed with a local rights group.

The CPP, however, said NPA guerrillas did not use landmines but detonated an explosive device to disable the Cagayan policemen’s vehicle before moving in to pin them down.

The NPA’s continued use of landmines in attacking government security forces was relayed by the AFP to visiting German Human Rights Commissioner Markus Loning who was at Camp Aguinaldo the other day for a meeting with Col. Domingo Tutaan, commander of the AFP Human Rights Office.

Last Sunday, five policemen, including a police chief of a remote town in Cagayan, were killed after their vehicle hit a landmine.

Killed in the attack were Chief Inspector Antonio Rueco, police chief of Rizal town; his wife SPO2 Maryjane Rueco and nephew PO2 Herminio Rueco, as well as PO2 Jose Baquiran and PO1 Joven Jimenez. One PO1 Valiant Bustamante was critically wounded.

The NPA’s Danilo Ben Command was tagged behind the landmine attack.

Last December, 10 soldiers and a nine-year-old boy were killed in a landmine attack staged by NPA rebels in Las Navas, Samar.

Mabanta said the use of landmines has long been banned by international law but the NPA continues to use them.

“My question is: How can we move on and come up with another agreement with the communists when they cannot even adhere to the CARHRIHL as agreed?” Mabanta asked.

He said Alexander Padilla, head of the government peace panel, would also bring up the issue to his counterpart in the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The NDF is representing the CPP-NPA in the peace talks with the government.

NDF peace consultant Randy Malayao said both sides must stop trading accusations and show earnest efforts to continue the peace talks.

Malayao, who has been detained since 2008, said the Cagayan ambuscade was an offshoot of ongoing military operations against the NPA in western Cagayan since November last year.      – With Raymund Catindig