3rd Infantry Division condemns senseless attack of rebels in Negros Oriental

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 9): 3rd Infantry Division condemns senseless attack of rebels in Negros Oriental

The Capiz-based 3rd Infantry Division on Monday has vehemently condemned the New People's Army (NPA) in their senseless attack against a sugarcane plantation in Sitio Sta. Ana, Barangay Mabini, Escalante City in Negros Oriental Sunday evening.

This is in direct violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), Major Ray Tiongson, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said.

At 9:45 p.m. Sunday, an estimated 25 rebel fighters indiscriminately destroyed the sugar transloading station owned by Lopez Sugar Milling Corp. at Sitio Sta Ana, Barangay Mabini, Escalante City.

They did this using improvised explosive device.

Also destroyed was a weighing scale platform and a crane while one Fuso hauler truck was also damaged when it was fired upon by the lawless elements.

The rebels also carted away one twelve-gauge shotgun with twenty rounds of ammunition and two handset ICOM radios.

3rd Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Aurelio Baladad said this assault is a gross violation of CARHRIHL by the rebels.

CARHRIHL states that parties involved in the agreement should affirm and apply the principles of international humanitarian law in order to protect the civilian population and individual civilians, as well as persons deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the armed conflict and also guarantees the right against economic and food blockades and indiscriminate bombings, shelling, strafing, gunfire and the use of landmines.

The CARHRIHL is the first of four agreements in the substantive agenda of the formal talks between the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) which was signed on March 16, 1998 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Under the Principle of Distinction which is the basis of international humanitarian law which applies in all armed conflicts, the principle obliges “Parties to a conflict” (i.e. the warring parties, whether states or non-state armed groups) to target only military objectives and not the civilian population or individual civilians or civilian objectives. Failing to make this distinction in military operations represents an indiscriminate attack and is a war crime.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that said atrocity is a punitive action for failure of the milling company to give in to the extortion demands of the rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=651711