From the Philippine Star (Dec 8, 2021): Farmers' group to new PAF chief: Stop airstrikes in peasant communities
File photo shows the Philippine Air Force's FA-50 sonic jets acquired during the Aquino administration used in battling the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups backed by foreign-based terrorists during the Siege of Marawi City. File / Malacañang Photo Bureau
A group representing farmers urged Wednesday the new chief of the Philippine Air Force, Maj. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas, to stop conducting what they said were "overkill airstrikes" that they said severely damage the lives of people, livelihood, and the environment in hinterland peasant communities.
To recall, the PAF in December conducted an airstrike operation in Brgy. Alimodias, Miag-ao, Iloilo that left at least seven people dead, and irreparable damages on the livelihood and well-being of the attacked community.
Canlas, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989, previously served as PAF vice commander and former Air Defense Command chief.
In a statement sent to media, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its PAF violated the Geneva Conventions and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by conducting surgical airstrikes that eventually resulted in heavy collateral damage.
Canlas assumed office on Tuesday, replacing retired Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes. In his speech, Canlas said he believed that continuity of the "previous command thrusts and frameworks" would be key for the PAF moving forward.
"As such, I am not really too keen on leaving legacies but my ultimate goal is to achieve the milestones set by our Flight Plan (2028) that was established by our predecessors," he is quoted as saying in an article by state-run Philippine News Agency.
According to Article 85(3)(b) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, it is a grave breach of the Protocol to launch “an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population or civilian objects in the knowledge that such attack will cause excessive loss of life, injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.”
KMP argued that the airstrikes are in violation of the CARHRIHL, an agreement signed by the GRP with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in 1998.
Article 2(4) of Part III of the 1998 CARHRIHL provides that the Agreement seeks to protect the right to life, especially from “indiscriminate bombardments of communities.”
"We strongly condemn these airstrikes conducted by the PAF. Airstrikes are always overkilled and extremely damaging. The use of air assets is unreasonable and violates international humanitarian laws,” KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos said.
"The PAF and AFP units conducted surgical airstrikes targeting alleged NPA lairs in rural villages in Eastern and Northern Samar, Cagayan, Bukidnon, and Iloilo."
Similar airstrikes are conducted under the pretext of Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and instituted a "whole of nation" approach to the government's anti-insurgency campaign.
Citing the initial reports of witnesses, KMP said that in the early morning of December 1, two aircraft flew over Sitio Burak in Brgy. Alimodias. Immediately after, two big explosions were felt, shaking the ground and leaving big craters as deep as 15 feet and as wide as 20 feet.
"These explosions were then followed by what witnesses recall as artillery cannon fire. KMP supports the solidarity statement demanding a stop to the indiscriminate bombing of peasant communities and allowing humanitarian help for the victims of Miag-ao airstrike," the statement reads.
The peasant group in its statement Wednesday also lambasted the AFP and PAF’s shopping spree of deadly armaments used in airstrikes and military operations.
In 2021, the AFP acquired 16 Polish-made S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters; two Jordan-made Bell AH-1S 'Cobra' dedicated attack helicopters, and two Turkish-made T129 ATAK helicopters worth billions of pesos.
Also this year, the US State Department approved a potential arms sale to the Philippines, a proposed deal that includes the possible transfer of twelve (12) F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, Sidewinder air-to-air, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles for use in the West Philippine Sea.
"Airstrikes will leave a lifelong scar on farmers and affected peasant communities. It's like hell falling from the sky," Ramos said.
A group representing farmers urged Wednesday the new chief of the Philippine Air Force, Maj. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas, to stop conducting what they said were "overkill airstrikes" that they said severely damage the lives of people, livelihood, and the environment in hinterland peasant communities.
To recall, the PAF in December conducted an airstrike operation in Brgy. Alimodias, Miag-ao, Iloilo that left at least seven people dead, and irreparable damages on the livelihood and well-being of the attacked community.
Canlas, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989, previously served as PAF vice commander and former Air Defense Command chief.
In a statement sent to media, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its PAF violated the Geneva Conventions and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by conducting surgical airstrikes that eventually resulted in heavy collateral damage.
Canlas assumed office on Tuesday, replacing retired Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes. In his speech, Canlas said he believed that continuity of the "previous command thrusts and frameworks" would be key for the PAF moving forward.
"As such, I am not really too keen on leaving legacies but my ultimate goal is to achieve the milestones set by our Flight Plan (2028) that was established by our predecessors," he is quoted as saying in an article by state-run Philippine News Agency.
According to Article 85(3)(b) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, it is a grave breach of the Protocol to launch “an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population or civilian objects in the knowledge that such attack will cause excessive loss of life, injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.”
KMP argued that the airstrikes are in violation of the CARHRIHL, an agreement signed by the GRP with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in 1998.
Article 2(4) of Part III of the 1998 CARHRIHL provides that the Agreement seeks to protect the right to life, especially from “indiscriminate bombardments of communities.”
"We strongly condemn these airstrikes conducted by the PAF. Airstrikes are always overkilled and extremely damaging. The use of air assets is unreasonable and violates international humanitarian laws,” KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos said.
"The PAF and AFP units conducted surgical airstrikes targeting alleged NPA lairs in rural villages in Eastern and Northern Samar, Cagayan, Bukidnon, and Iloilo."
Similar airstrikes are conducted under the pretext of Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and instituted a "whole of nation" approach to the government's anti-insurgency campaign.
Citing the initial reports of witnesses, KMP said that in the early morning of December 1, two aircraft flew over Sitio Burak in Brgy. Alimodias. Immediately after, two big explosions were felt, shaking the ground and leaving big craters as deep as 15 feet and as wide as 20 feet.
"These explosions were then followed by what witnesses recall as artillery cannon fire. KMP supports the solidarity statement demanding a stop to the indiscriminate bombing of peasant communities and allowing humanitarian help for the victims of Miag-ao airstrike," the statement reads.
The peasant group in its statement Wednesday also lambasted the AFP and PAF’s shopping spree of deadly armaments used in airstrikes and military operations.
In 2021, the AFP acquired 16 Polish-made S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters; two Jordan-made Bell AH-1S 'Cobra' dedicated attack helicopters, and two Turkish-made T129 ATAK helicopters worth billions of pesos.
Also this year, the US State Department approved a potential arms sale to the Philippines, a proposed deal that includes the possible transfer of twelve (12) F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, Sidewinder air-to-air, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles for use in the West Philippine Sea.
"Airstrikes will leave a lifelong scar on farmers and affected peasant communities. It's like hell falling from the sky," Ramos said.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/08/2146567/farmers-group-new-paf-chief-stop-airstrikes-peasant-communities
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) is a Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) peasant-based umbrella front group and is a member of the main CPP multisectoral umbrella front organization the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN). The anti-military propaganda themes articulated above dovetail with propaganda statements recently posted to the CPP's blog site, the PRWC Newsroom. All of this propaganda is intended to discredit the recent operational success of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the armed wing of the CPP, the New People's Army (NPA).
ReplyDelete