Kalinaw News: Brazen Disregard of Human Rights in Davao de Oro

Posted to Kalinaw News (Sep 24, 2020): Brazen Disregard of Human Rights in Davao de Oro

Mawab, Davao de Oro — Populace in Davao de Oro condemns the New People’s Army (NPA) for using improvised explosive devices (IED) which are prohibited in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

The 71st Infantry KAIBIGAN Battalion (71IB) recovered 3 IEDs in Sitio Bunglas, Brgy Cabuyoan, Mabini, Davao de Oro last 21 September. Each IED weighs around 7kg, enough to blow up a heavy vehicle or building in a split second once detonated. The “to-whom-it-may-concern” explosive was buried along a utility road which could kill a number of people within its fatal radius once triggered.

The CARHRIHL clearly stipulates that the international human rights law should be applied to protect the rights of persons who do not take part in hostilities. However, the NPA laid the mines along the way of the locals of Sitio Bunglas to their farms. Luckily, a member of the NPA who surrendered to this unit lately divulged the location of the mines they laid in the said Sitio.

The use of IED is also a violation of Republic Act (RA) 9851, An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes against Humanity especially on the Use of Weapons prohibited in Warfare such as Landmines. Prohibited in the said act are “weapons, projectiles, materials and methods of warfare which are of the nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.”

Locals in the said sitio were thankful to the 71IB for successfully removing the mines from their sitio while expressing condemnation to the NPA. For the past months, former members of the underground mass organization all over Davao de Oro declared the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata and condemned them through peace rallies.

LTC Sonny Gonzales said that the “NPA brazenly disregard the CARHRIL and other related human rights laws by the continuous use of IED.” It can be recalled that the 71IB recovered an IED together with 2 high powered firearms after an armed encounter last April.

The 71st IB intensifies its military operations to finally end local armed conflict in the municipalities of Mawab, Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, and 4 barangays of Nabunturan, all of Davao de Oro and Tagum City of Davao del Norte.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/brazen-disregard-of-human-rights-in-davao-de-oro/