Military disputes CPP claim it paid for civilian property damage

The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Human Rights Office on Tuesday disputed the Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP's) claim that it remunerated the civilians whose property was damaged by insurgents.

"Owners of property destroyed by the NPA (New People's Army) do not know where to file a complaint for they are not aware of RA 9851 and the CHR’s (Commission on Human Rights) role in assisting them as victims of [international humanitarian law] violations," said Colonel Joel Alejandro Nacnac in a statement.

"But this time, victims will be assisted because we already submitted the cases to the CHR. Hindi dapat pangunahan ng CPP ang gagawing imbestigasyon ng CHR. Tinatakot ba nila ang CHR?"

Earlier, the Philippine military claimed that 532 attacks on civilian property, mostly done through torching, were perpetrated by communist insurgents since 2010.

The AFP submitted a report of the incidents with the Commission on Human Rights.

CPP information officer Marco Valbuena, meanwhile, said that "in mounting military offensives, the NPA always ensures that no civilians will be hurt or no civilian property will be damaged and that those who suffered damage are compensated."

Valbuena also said it would be better if the military submitted its report to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines section of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), which is tasked to monitor violations of the GRP-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

However, Nacnac argued that CARHRIHL is a "mere agreement that is no longer in existence and that the JMC has long been dissolved."

"The JMC cannot replace the role of the CHR," Nacnac said.

"Even if the NDFP’s JMC acted upon complaints before it, it cannot issue a decision that can be legally implemented in the country because the JMC is not a duly constituted trial court and the CARHRIHL is already inoperative, hence the JMC is no longer active," he added.

GMA News Online had sought comment from the CPP over the AFP's latest statement. The CPP had yet to reply as of posting time. — DVM, GMA News