THE Armed Forces yesterday challenged the communist movement to surrender the New People’s Army rebels responsible for last Sunday’s landmine attack in Masbate City that killed Far Eastern University football star Kieth Absalon and his cousin.
AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo issued the challenge to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, during the Laging Handa press briefing a day after Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano told the CPP and the NPA to surrender those involved.
Arevalo said communist leaders like communist party founding chairman Jose Maria Sison should be also held liable, adding the superiors of the perpetrators planned and ordered such attacks.
“The AFP is assisting agencies of government like the PNP and the DOJ in gathering information, testimonies, and other pieces of evidence that may be used in the filing of appropriate cases against the perpetrators and their superiors,” Arevalo said.
AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for operations Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon said: “Under IHL (International Humanitarian Law), the superiors, not only the direct perpetrators, are also responsible and liable (in the committed violation).”
The CPP and NPA have taken responsibility for the death of the 21-year-old Absalon, his cousin Nolven Absalon, 49, and the wounding of Nolven’s 16-year-old son, Chrysvine Daniel.
The CPP and the NPA have expressed “deep remorse” over the deaths which they said resulted from “errors in the military action mounted by an NPA unit” in Barangay Anas, in Masbate. The CPP apologized to the Absalon family and offered to indemnify them.
“Our challenge to the groups supposedly asking for forgiveness and promising to compensate, surrender those involved in this murder,” Arevalo said.
