Bishops believe release of 3 wounded NPA on humanitarian ground will help peace talks

Davao City – Bishops belonging to the clergy-led Exodus for Justice and Peace reiterates their appeal to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hierarchy to release the three NPA hors de combat on humanitarian grounds saying the release of the three will aid in the pursuance of peace talks.

The group was referring to Vanessa delos Reyes, Ariel Haducana, and Jason Casilum whom the AFP is keeping in hospital arrest after being critically wounded in a military encounter on May 29 in Davao Oriental. The Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division has rendered the three as its de facto prisoners of war (POW).

The group expressed this plea citing that in the past they have appealed to the New People’s Army to release its captured AFP officers and soldiers or POWs based on humanitarian grounds.

“Our call is ever more important, now that we are tracking peace talks,” convenor of the group Bishop Modesto Villasanta said. “The release of the three will definitely aid in confidence building for both the government and the NDF in pursuing peace talks,” he said.

“Instead of using peace rhetoric for military operations and insisting that the NPA is a local terrorist, the military must heed the call to support peace negotiations by observing and respecting signed agreements between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF),” Villasanta added.

Among the agreements include the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), and other international conventions such as the Geneva Conventions that provide rules on war.

“These agreements provide what is prohibited – such as the use of public places, including schools and barangay gyms, for military operations and provide mechanisms on how to protect persons not (anymore) taking direct part in armed hostilities, for example, relatives, hors de combat and medical professionals among others,” Villasanta said.

“The AFP seems to be ignoring the fact that the Philippine government is in a peace negotiations; they continue to tag NPAs as terrorists and file criminal cases against them. Clearly, this does not help the peace talks!” Bishop Delfin Callao, convenor of the group.

“Lisod man kung sige ingon ang AFP nga for peace sila, but only uses this as cover para ipadayon ang ilang combat operations in the hinterlands of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental,” Callao added.###

Bishops believe release of 3 wounded NPA on humanitarian ground will help peace talks
Press Release
June 24, 2011