President Duterte issued a new ultimatum to communist rebels, telling the New People’s Army (NPA) to respond immediately to his call for a stop to the use of landmines in attacking government soldiers.

“I would insist you include the landmine issues, or else no (peace) talks at all. Then we fight for another 45 years,” the President said at the wake of four 39th Infantry Battalion soldiers at the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) who were killed by an improvised explosive device last August 1.

“If I hear another explosion, killing people – not only soldiers – killing people. No talks, pasensya na. Hindi naman nauubusan ng pera ang gobyerno, hindi naman talaga ninyo kaya tumbahin (The government never runs out of funds. You cannot topple the government),” he said.

He said that the use of landmines to attack the government forces is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which provides “minimum protections, standards of humane treatment, and fundamental guarantees of respect to individuals who become victims of armed conflicts.”

Duterte said he was never remiss in reminding the rebel forces that the international law does not allow the use of these explosives even when he was still mayor of Davao City for 22 years.

The then city mayor facilitated in several instances with the NPAs, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), for the release of the abducted police and military soldiers.

He threatened the communists to stop this practice or he will order the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to also use landmines “for offensive and defensive purpose” for fairness, as he emphasized that it cannot be a different rule for the rebel group.

If the NPA keeps on attacking the military using landmines despite his warning, Duterte said he would ask the government peace panel to back out from the formal resumption of the peace negotiation slated on August 20 in Oslo, Norway.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Antonio L. Colina IV

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