CPP-NPA remorseful over deaths of FEU booter Kieth Absalon, kin

The Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army have expressed remorse over the killings by a landmine of Far Eastern University football team member Kieth Absalon and a relative.

CPP spokesman Marco Valvuena on Twitter adverted to "errors of an NPA unit" in the incident on Sunday in Masbate City.

"The entire CPP and NPA express deep remorse and take full responsibility for the untimely deaths of cousins Kieth and Neolven Absalon," Valvuena said.

The FEU football team member and his cousin Nolven were killed by an improvised explosive device blast on Sunday morning.

Nolven’s 16-year-old son also sustained injuries from the explosion.

The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines both have announced that they were conducting a manhunt for the suspects behind the blast.

“CHR strongly condemns this act,” spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement. “The use of anti-personnel landmines is a violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).”

“Not only do they cause exceptionally severe injuries, suffering, and death, [but] anti-personnel landmines also fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, such as what happened in this case,” she added.

De Guia underscored that even non-state entities such as the NPA “are bound to respect IHL, alongside the government.” —NB, GMA News