NPAs violated human rights in Negros ambush – OPAPP

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has found that the New People’s Army (NPA) violated human rights and the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) when it killed eight civilians in an ambush in La Castellana, Negros Occidental last Jan. 27.

Lawyer Jaime Arroyo, secretariat head of the OPAPP-Government of the Philippines Monitoring Committee, said the NPA’s admission of the crime, pictures shown to them, media reports, and the testimonies of eyewitnesses whom they interviewed in Barangay Puso, La Castellana town on Tuesday proved that the NPA indeed violated the human rights of the slain civilians and the IHL.

“What we have seen is a case against rebels having ambushed a truck full of civilians and a few police officers,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo, along with OPAPP legal consultant Norman Carreon, went to the ambush site and talked to the survivors and families of the victims.

“We came here upon learning of the ambush last Jan. 27. Two events that transpired confirmed our initial suspicion that there was a violation of human rights and IHL: the admission by the NPA local command that they were responsible for the ambush; and the statements of the eyewitnesses we interviewed saying the victims were shot at close range and the ambushers shouting “Mabuhay ang NPA (Long live the NPA),” Arroyo said.

“This is an attack on civilians which is specifically prohibited under the International Humanitarian Law,” he said. “This information will be entered into our records and our database.”

The two lawyers also met with Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. to brief him of their findings. Accompanying them in the courtesy call were Col. Oscar Lactao, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade; Senior Superintendent Celestino Guara, acting Negros Occidental police director; and two policemen wounded in the attack, PO2 Jeffrey Alvarez and PO3 Constantino Villegas.

Guara said they would amend the case they filed against at least 20 NPA rebels behind the attack.

He said they have considered the recommendation of OPAPP lawyers to file a case for violation of Republic Act 9851 or the Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

“It will be the first case for violation of RA 9851,” he said.

Last Tuesday, police filed nine counts of murder and 14 counts of frustrated murder against the 20 NPA guerrillas, with a certain Magno Flores, leader of a rebel squad operating in central Negros, as main respondent.

Asked if they would submit a report to President Aquino, Arroyo said, “This report does not go directly to the Office of the President, but will also form part of the ‘super body’ created under Administrative Order No. 35, which has at least 23 cases of human rights violations.”

OPAPP is an attached agency of the Office of the President. It is mandated to oversee, coordinate and integrate the implementation of the comprehensive peace process. – With Jennifer Rendon