Indemnification of civilian landmine victims does not remove rebel liability

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 20): Indemnification of civilian landmine victims does not remove rebel liability

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday announced that efforts of National Democratic Front (NDF) to indemnify the civilian victims hurt in the rebels' indiscriminate landmine attacks in Matanao town, Davao Del Sur last March 2 does not remove their legal liability.

The wounded civilians, all professional medical personnel, were hurt after their ambulance were hit by a New People's Army (NPA) landmine.

The wounded civilians were out to help troopers wounded in another NPA landmine attack in Bansalan town, also in Davao Del Sur.

"It does not remove their (legal) liability even they offered to pay the victims as their actions broke the law," AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said.

"Indemnification is an admission of guilt that they attacked civilians. The payment does not exonerate you from the crimes you did, you must be accountable to the people you've hurt," he added.

Zagala said rebels who conducted these attacks must be held accountable for their actions.

"If they are sincere, they should submit those who are responsible to face the law because that action is the only way that the people they hurt will get justice," the AFP public affairs office chief stressed.

The NDF earlier offered to pay the sum of P10,000 to civilians hurt in their landmine attacks.

Earlier, the Eastern Mindanao Command, in a bid to document the rebels' illegal use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines against government and civilian targets in its area of operation, announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Campaign Against Landmines.

The group is against the use of landmines and IEDs against civilian and military targets, Capt. Alberto Caber, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson said.

He added the agreement aims to document the indiscriminate use of landmines by the New People's Army regardless of the casualty it caused against its targets.

"Through this, we are hoping to build public pressure against the rebels so that they stop using this weapon which can cause mass casualties and death," Caber said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=627366