NPA committed 1,506 atrocities – AFP official

By Dempsey Reyes / The Manila Times

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said it recorded 1,506 atrocities and human rights violations committed by communist rebels in the last 10 years, most of which were done during the Duterte administration.

These acts include the abduction of 544 children and forcing them to be child warriors of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Six of these children were killed in armed encounters, 11 were wounded, 25 were abused and 464 have surrendered to authorities.

Col. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, director of the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict, said these reports can be verified and the military’s field units have the names of these children.

He said some of them recounted their ordeal on how they were used as child warriors.

The greatest number of child abductions were recorded in 2020 — 119. Davao region had the highest number — 141.

Nacnac reported there were 289 incidents of willful killings by the NPA that resulted in 373 casualties from both the military and civilians.

“This proves without doubt there is a nationwide pattern of organized, orchestrated, continuing, deliberate and systematic scheme perpetrated by the communist terrorist group which justifies their designation as a terrorist organization,” Nacnac said.

He disclosed the military documented 532 incidents where the NPA destroyed civilian property.

Also, there were 141 incidents of NPA rebels using anti-personnel mines including three incidents of production of these mines, 22 stockpiling, six transportation and 110 incidents of actually using it.

He described these incidents as violations of the International Humanitarian Law of the

United Nations and other international treaties.

Nacnac said the NPA killed 373 persons, 296 of them civilians.

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) designated the CPP-NPA as a terror group. It also tagged several members of the CPP as terrorists.

On Monday, Rowena Acudili, legal officer of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the ATC secretariat, said the designation of the 29 individuals as terrorists was based on probable cause.

“When I say probable cause, there are pieces of evidence submitted to the ATC. However, these are not available to the public,” Acudili said in a virtual press conference hosted by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.