NO MORE LANDMINES. President Rodrigo Duterte appeals to the Communist Party of the Philippines to stop using landmines as part of the Geneva Convention on the rules of war in the public wake of four soldiers who died in a series of offensives by the 8th Pulang Bagani Company of the New People’s Army in Monkayo Town, Compostela Valley, Friday morning, August 5. The four soldiers are currently laid at state in Camp Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – The National Democratic Front on Sunday, August 7 defended the use of command detonated explosives by the New People’s Army and said that it does not violate Geneva Convention and the Ottawa Treaty.
“We wish to point out that the use of command-detonated land mines is not violative of the Geneva Convention and the Ottawa Treaty,” Luis Jalandoni, chairperson of the NDF negotiating panel, said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a warning against the Communist Party of the Philippines that he would stop the peace talks if the NPAs will not stop using “landmines”.
“Either you stop it (use of landmines) or we stop talking,” Duterte said in a press conference on Sunday, August 7 at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan, here during his visit to the wake of four soldiers killed in a series of NPA offensives recently.
“It cannot be a different rule for you and a different rule for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the police. Or would you rather na tabla tayo, na sabihin ko sa kanila start using the landmines for offensive or defensive purposes? (Or would you rather have it that I order the military to start using landmines for offensive or defensive purposes?)” Duterte said.
“Will we use landmines? If we will use landmines, I will order the Armed Forces to prepare the explosives also… to be fair. Why should only the government soldiers suffer?” he said.
Duterte also said that he would include the issue on the use of landmines in the peace talks.
But Jalandoni said that the NPA” can use these weapons in its military operations inasmuch as there is yet no ceasefire of any kind which is valid and effective between the NPA and the AFP.”
Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines
Jalandoni was referring to the 1997 Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines. Article 1 of the Convention prohibits the use of Anti-personnel mines.In its Article 2, the anti-personnel mines are defined as mines “designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one or more persons.””Mines designed to be detonated by the presence, proximity or contact of a vehicle as opposed to a person, that are equipped with anti-handling devices, are not considered anti-personnel mines as a result of being so equipped,” it said.
‘Continue talks’
Jalandoni also said that they understand President Duterte’s statements earlier.
“Concerning President Duterte’s statement in Davao last night, we address him in his official capacity and not at a personal level. We understand that as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines he has the duty to show official and personal concern for his troops and mourn their death as casualties of war,” said Jalandoni.
He said that they are pushing for the resumption of peace negotiations “to allow both negotiating panels to take up the mode of ceasefire, as stated in the Joint Statement signed in Oslo on June 15, 2016. ”
“When the JASIG-protected NDFP consultants are released and get travel documents before August 20, it would be better than not to resume formal peace talks on August 20-27, 2016 because it is during the formal talks that the GPH and NDFP negotiating panels can discuss the mode of ceasefire and how best to arrange this,” Jalandoni said. (davaotoday.com)
