TIT-FOR-TAT: Rebels are real human rights violators, Army claims

By Jennifer P. Rendon

If the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) are looking for the real human rights violators, they should not look too far, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division said.

All the rebels have to do is to look at the mirror to ascertain the true human rights villains, 3rd ID commander Major General Benedict Arevalo said.

Arevalo issued the statement during the annual Human Rights Day celebration on Dec 10, 2021.

The statement also came on the heels of accusations made by progressive groups that Philippine Army soldiers violated international laws and laws on war during an encounter between NPA members and government troops at Sitio Burak, Brgy. Alimodias, Miag-ao, Iloilo on Dec 1.

“Your Army in Western and Central Visayas is mandated to protect the people at all times. Upholding their rights and dignity is always our top priority in everything we do,” Arevalo said in a statement.

He stressed that the people’s fervent desire for a violence-free and rebel-free community drive them to do conduct operations against the rebels.

“We are only fulfilling the people’s cry for justice for all the victims of these terrorist groups’ atrocities and terroristic actions,” Arevalo said.

Citing that appropriate force was used, he said the soldiers, being the legitimate armed forces, only defended the people against these NPA terrorists who are blatantly abusing the rights and dignity of the civilians for more than fifty decades.

Arevalo said that the rampant human rights violations of NPAs prompted the Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for the Law on Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) to submit an initial 1,672 NPA’s human rights violations to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). These crimes were recorded from 2010 to 1st semester of this year.

Undeniably, NPA terrorists are the true human rights violators, he added.

In October of this year, 166 new violations were attributed to the rebels.

The number included 16 cases of alleged recruitment and use of child combatants, 10 cases of destruction of civilian-owned properties, 113 cases of anti-personnel mine use, 20 cases of willful killings, and 7 other alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

Arevalo said these alleged violations perpetrated by this terrorist group were already submitted to the CHR, Department of Justice (DOJ) and United Nations (UN).

He said that the agencies were already informed about the lawlessness of the CPP-NPA to the Filipino communities.

“Let us be wary of these terrorists, for they are hiding behind the mask of fake human rights advocates. Let us not be fooled by their deceptive tactics and maneuvers. They are experts in fabricating and propagating false accusations and stories. They are trained to blame and point their guilty fingers at government security forces like us to cover their crimes,” Arevalo said.

In the spirit of impartiality and justice, the 3rd ID top man said they are open to any independent investigation, particularly of those conducted by the CHR on their military actions, especially the recent encounter in Miagao that left several alleged NPA members dead.

“The IPPO SOCO and EOD Teams that processed the scene of the incident will negate any and all false claims made by groups pretending to be human rights defenders, that properties, agricultural farmlands, and local communities were subjected to indiscriminate use of military assets,” he said.

But Arevalo also called upon the CHR to investigate the CPP NPA’s recruitment of youth, for two of the fatalities in the said encounter were minors when recruited to join the group.

In celebration of the worldwide Human Rights Day, Arevalo said the rest of the country, and even the world, aspire for better humanity with a greater sense of empathy and understanding of others.

As such, “we cannot allow these terrorists to deliberately violate the human rights of the people we oath to serve. We will not rest on our laurels with the people on our side until we put their decades-long cruelty of CPP NPA terrorists to its end,” he said.