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International Humanitarian Law Violations
of the CPP-NPA-NDF
"International humanitarian law is a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict.
It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.
International humanitarian law is also known as the law of war or the law of armed conflict."
CIVILIAN KILLINGS
The Geneva Conventions are composed of four major treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war.
The Fourth Geneva Convention concerns itself with the protection of civilians in areas of armed conflict. It dictates that civilians and uninvolved parties are to be protected from murder, torture, or brutality and to be treated with dignity with no exception in times of war.
Over the past decade, there have been a recorded 373 individuals killed at the hands of the New People’s Army, however the true count is believed to be much higher, especially in far-flung rural areas where the presence of the NPA is strongest.
In April 2021, one of 50 New People's Army rebels shot Edgar Jore to death in his home in Agusan del Norte, in full view of his wife and 18-year-old son. Edgar Jore was a farmer with no connections to the militant group or the government. One of the killers was identified as a member of the Guerrilla Front 16A.
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In this midst of a reciprocal ceasefire on 29 March 2021, Roldan Geroche was celebrating the birthday of a family member when three gunmen broke into attacked and shot him to death. Roldan was a prominent member of the Asdang Kultura, a pseudo-cultural theater group dedicated to the rehabilitation of children and teenage youth formerly recruited by the NPA, as well as the The gunmen are identified members of the Weakened Guerrilla Front.
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A spate of NPA-led 'reprisal killings' in 2020 has resulted in the deaths of at least 20 IP members, at least four of whom had their eyes gouged out. Among the casualties of this recent series of killings is Datu Jumar Bucales, IP leader and representative of the Manobo tribe in Surigao del Sur, who consistently spoke against the atrocities of the CTG.
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Anti-Personnel Mine Use
The Ottawa Treaty of 1997 is also known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is a treaty designed to eliminate the use of Anti-Personnel Mines (or APMs for short) completely. APMs are controversial as they are indiscriminate in nature; harming both civilian and soldier alike.
Placed to deter movement in a certain area, the repercussions of their use is horrific. The ICRC maintains that victims who survive typically require amputation, multiple operations and prolonged physical rehabilitation, commonly suffering permanent disability – with serious social, psychological and economic implications.
Within the past decade, there have been a total of 141 illegal APM-related NPA attacks resulting in the injury -- and in some cases, death -- of 224 individuals, with the highest number of incidents in a year being in 2020.
From the ambush and assassination of off-duty troops and government workers to indiscriminate civilian executions, the CTG through its armed component, the New People's Army, has repeatedly and systematically violated human rights and international treaties that have been in effect for nearly seventy years.
Child Warriors
The OPAC is a multilateral treaty wherein states agree to 1) prohibit the conscription into the military of children under the age of 18; 2) ensure that military recruits are no younger than 16; and prevent recruits aged 16 or 17 from taking a direct part in hostilities. The treaty also forbids non-state armed groups from recruiting anyone under the age of 18 for any purpose.
Placed to deter movement in a certain area, the repercussions of their use is horrific. The ICRC maintains that victims who survive typically require amputation, multiple operations and prolonged physical rehabilitation, commonly suffering permanent disability – with serious social, psychological and economic implications.
Since 2010, there have been a total of 544 documented instances in which the NPA recruited children into their ranks. Over the decades since its establishment, the terrorist group has not shied away from utilizing the youth in committing violent acts.
Kieth Absalon (story, confession, task force statement), Agusan del Norte <https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1142385> , Legazpi City <https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1142792>
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