THE Philippine National Police (PNP) ensured that leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) and their armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) will be on the run by filing criminal charges which will trigger the issuance of warrants of arrest against them by the courts, officials told the Journal Group yesterday.

Last week, PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar ordered the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to investigate at least 1,672 cases of purported human rights violations committed by the NPA from 2010 to date.

These include alleged incidents of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s use of child soldiers, destruction of civilian properties, use of anti-personnel mines, willful killings, and other International Human Rights Law violations that were monitored by the AFP in the countryside since 2010.

Last June, the government condemned the NPA’s use of a landmine that killed national football team and FEU varsity player Keith Absalon,21; and his cousin Nolven,34, in Masbate City.

The local NPA movement took full responsibility for the death of the two.

The top cop said that documents regarding those cases have been forwarded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the PNP-CIDG headed by Major Gen. Albert Ignatius D. Ferro for use in their legal offensive against the CPP/NPA/NDF.

According to Gen. Eleazar, he has ordered the PNP-CIDG to expedite the review of all the documents turned over by the AFP which are all related to the CPP-NPA-NDF’s violations of the International Humanitarian Law.

“These documents will be used in our legal offensive against those responsible for these human rights violations and I have already tasked our Legal Service and other concerned units to assist the CIDG in expediting all the preparations for prosecution,” he explained. Once the court issue the warrants against the accused, police would immediately launch operations to serve them.

Maj. Gen. Ferro said the list was also forwarded to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s Legal Cooperation Cluster (NTF-ELCAC LCC).

The PNP-CIDG also filed several cases against self-exiled CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison for the recruitment of minors for its armed wing—which, according to the cases it filed, usually starts with the recruitment of students to join its legal front organizations.

Gen. Eleazar said this move only shows the strengthened coordination among government agencies that are in unity in combatting communist insurgency in the Philippines.

“This only proves that the coordination among all the concerned government agencies are strong and our efforts to put an end to the more than five decades of violence, extortion and other criminal and terroristic activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the country,” he said.

According to Ferro, they received the documents from Brigadier Gen. Joel Nacnac of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict on Wednesday.

He said that they include 560 cases of Children in Armed Conflict, 542 cases of Destruction of Civilian Properties, 254 cases of Usage of Anti-Personnel Mines (land mines), 309 cases of Willful Killings, and seven other violations.

Ferro assured the AFP that they will seek the truth in all 1,672 cases and file appropriate criminal charges against the rebel personalities involved in those incidents.

Prior to this, from August to October 2021, 17 cases were already filed by CIDG against 128 identified CPP/NPA respondents.

The cases filed include violations of Article 270 of the Revised Penal Code or RPC (Kidnapping and Failure to Return a Minor), Republic Act 9851 (Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity), RA 9208 as amended by RA 10364 (Expanded Anti Trafficking in Person Act of 2012), RA 11188 (Special Protection of Children in Situation of Armed Conflict Act), RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), murder and frustrated murder.

“PNP CIDG condemns such cruelty against children who by the statement of our complainants were recruited, trafficked, deceived and exploited. What is worse is they were groomed to take part in armed activities by the CTG,” said the PNP-CIDG director.

“ Sadly, there were many who already died during armed conflict. The lives of those youth, we can never bring back. With our strong resolve to seek the truth and deliver justice, the CIDG in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and with the active support of the community will not falter in these investigations,” he added.

Ferro called on all the victims and the parents of victims of the CPP-NPA-NDF to come forward and help in bringing these terrorists to justice.