In a statement, the Government of the Philippines Monitoring Committee (GPH-MC) said true and impartial justice demands that the NPA must surrender and subject the perpetuators of the Sept. 1 grenade attack to the Philippine justice system.
If it were truly a champion of human rights and international humanitarian law, the NPA would readily surrender [the rebel] perpetrators of the Paquibato bombing and their other HR-IHL crimes to the Philippine justice system, which, however imperfect, remains a far better legal remedy to HR-IHL stakeholders and to the public than the justice system of the NPA, the statement added.
Responding to the rebel groups statement denouncing the governments system of justice and accountability, the GPH-MC said The NPAs refusal to submit themselves to the Philippine justice system, does not change the fact that the group is not above international HR and IHL principles and laws, which they and their legal entity, the NDF, continually invoke when they allege violations by the governments security forces.
The GPH-MC is the counterpart of the National Democratic Front-Monitoring Committee. Both committees form the Joint Monitoring Committee, an entity that oversees and ensures compliance to CARHRIHL.
Padilla said the reckless action raised by the NPA is simply not acceptable and such uncivilized and irresponsible act is a grave violation of human rights and will not lead to any meaningful resolution to issues being raised by the Communist rebels.
If the group sincerely wants to put a solution to the countrys problems, the rightful way would be to go back to the negotiating table with the government and exhaust ways on how to work together in reaching just and lasting peace, Padilla said.
Last September 1, the NPAs Merardo Arce Command of Southern Mindanao admitted its operatives threw a grenade at a fiesta gathering in the Paquibato District in Davao City.