DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur – Emergency responders who were hit by explosives of the New People’s Army during the latter’s operations against government forces last March 2 received indemnification Monday through church leaders.
The four emergency responders who were earlier identified by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao were Mr. Genaro Doronio Dumayas (Sr), Ms. Bonita dela Cruz, Mr. Arnel Comandante Veloso and Mr. Alberto Simbajon Cabual.
However, only Dela Cruz, Veloso and Cabual were present as Dumayas, Sr. was still recuperating; he sent his son Genaro “Jun” Dumayas, Jr. to claim the indemnification instead.
The four reportedly received ten thousand pesos (P10,000) as indemnification.
“My father was advised by the doctor to take a two-month rest. He can now walk,” said Dumayas, Jr.
He added that the money given by the NDF was a big help to cover for his father’s hospital bills apart from those given by other donors.
He clarified that “it is not just about the money.”
“Nagpasalamat pud mi kay at least nay assurance nga kini dili na mahitabo pag-usab (We are also thankful that at least we were assured that this will not happen again [hitting emergency responders]),” he said.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council Executive Officer Harry Chester Amoro said in an interview with Davao Today that their group has only been recently established to respond to all emergencies in the province.
With regards to the claim of the NPA that they were “trailing” a military truck and that their sirens were not turned on, Amoro said that they were “far.”
“It is in our protocol that we should maintain a distance (with military vehicles). Our sirens were off because there was no traffic. We can only turn it on if we are in a hurry. It is showing respect to other vehicles too,” he said.
He said that the responders were trailing a military ambulance which Coro referred to as their partners along with the Red Cross ambulance.
Bonita dela Cruz said they were “about 50 meters from the military truck.”
“The military truck was not hit. It was our vehicle who was hit in the side,” she said.
Dela Cruz is one of the two nurses in the province’s DDRMC. She said she “is now okay but has a bit of a trauma.”
“We were ready to respond during the March 10 attack of the NPA in Matanao (Davao Del Sur) but we were advised to only proceed if they (military) requested for us. They did not ask for us,” she said.
Exodus for Justice and Peace Convenor Bishop Modesto Villasanta said they were requested by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines – Southern Mindanao to conduct the indemnification process for the four because of their “commitment to the principles of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).”
“This indemnification is just right and they already admitted that they committed a mistake,” said Villasanta.
Villasanta said that the NDF also cited their “adherence to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) was signed by the government”, a document signed by the NDF and the government during the Ramos administration.
“CARHRIHL must be adhered to by both parties. By requesting us to facilitate this indemnification, the NDF has shown their sincerity,” said Villasanta.
In a statement during the indemnification process, the NDF also said that it follows “the NDFP Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Protocol 1 of 1977, the Constitutional Guide for Establishing the People’s Democratic Government and the Basic Rules of the New People’s Army.”
“This is a unilateral exercise of revolutionary political authority by a government of the working class and peasantry and has its own legal and judicial system and rules in accordance with its political principles and circumstances,” said NDFP-Southern Mindanao Spokesperson Rubi del Mundo in the statement.
Meanwhile, del Mundo slammed the revival of the anti-communist vigilante group Alsa Masa in Davao del Sur.
“The Alsa Masa will not only be used to deter the New People’s Army but it will also target civilians, ordinary peasants, and progressive leaders,” said Del Mundo. (John Rizle Saligumba/davaotoday.com)
