BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) based in the town of Murcia, Negros Occidental denounced the New People’s Army (NPA) for supposedly violating the controversial Republic Act (RA) No. 11479, or the Anti–Terrorism Act of 2020.
Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303IB commander, said a series of shooting incidents staged by NPA insurgents in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental resulted to the deaths of several civilians.
These killings and use of indiscriminate force in armed conflict, according to Pasaporte, were direct violations to the international human law.
He also slammed the rebels for violating the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
“We deployed our troops to conduct pursuit operations against NPAs together with our counterparts in the [Philippine National Police],” Pasaporte said.
The top Army official assured that government forces in Negros Island are in control of the situation. “We will not allow the rebels to sow fear to the communities despite the crisis brought by coronavirus disease 2019,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this month signed the anti-terror law despite opposition from various sectors over some the provisions that allegedly violate human rights.
RA 11479 is being questioned even by those from the legal sector and the academe over some of the alleged provisions that violate the 1987 Constitution, especially on the Bill of Rights.
At least 10 petitions have already been filed before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the Anti-Terror Law./PN
