Inirekomenda ng inter-agency on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) ang paghahain ng criminal complaints ukol sa umano’y paglabag sa International Humanitarian Law (IHL) ng communist terrorist groups.

Sinabi ni Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra nitong Biyernes, ito ang rekomendasyon ng Technical Working Group (TWG) ng komite base sa 1,500 kasong isinumite ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“For those cases where it has found sufficient evidence, the TWG has recommended the filing of the appropriate complaints,” pahayag ni Guevarra, chairman ng komite.

“The TWG has also advised law enforcement agencies and the AFP on what further steps to take in order to build up their cases against communist terrorist groups for various violations of the IHL,” dagdag pa niya.

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Iginiit niya, “Some complaints have actually been filed in the past, but not as violations of IHL; instead, common crimes like murder, kidnapping, arson have been filed against persons associated with the NPA (New People’s Army).”

Ang IHL “is a set of rules that limits the effects of armed conflict, protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities, and restricts the means and methods of warfare.”

Binuo ang inter-agency committee sa ilalim ng Administrative Order No. 35, at kilala bilang AO 35 Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.

Sinabi naman ni Assistant State Prosecutor Gino Paolo S. Santiago, pinuno ng inter-agency committee secretariat, na 1,500 kaso ng IHL violations ang isinumite ng Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFP-CLOAC) ng AFP.

“The violations consisted mainly of attacks on civilian properties, willful killing of civilians/non-combatants, children involved in armed conflict, and use of anti-personnel mines,” ayon kay Santiago.

“These violations transpired between 2010 and 2020,” dagdag pa niya.

Siniguro naman ni Guevarra na “the review has been done of cases in the regions where IHL violations appear prevalent, but the TWG still has to evaluate other cases that occurred in the remaining regions.

Beth Camia