JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra said violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, murder and other charges may be lodged against the communist rebels behind the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) that killed 21-year-old promising college football player Keith Absalon and his cousin last June 6.
“Those responsible for the land mine explosion may be held liable for murder, violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, and violation of the Philippine Act [2009] on Crimes against International Humanitarian Law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity,” Guevarra said.
Absalon, a football player of the Far Eastern University (FEU), was named as the most valuable player of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in 2016.
He and his 40-year-old cousin Nolven Absalon were reportedly biking along Barangay Anas in Masbate with some relatives when an improvised explosive device was detonated.
The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) have admitted responsibility over the death of the Absalons.
Just the beginning
A member of the House Committee on Justice on Wednesday, meanwhile, said the admission of “full responsibility” by the CPP-NPA should not halt the investigation into the “tragic” incident.
Agusan Rep. Lawrence Fortun said the acceptance of full responsibility by the CPP-NPA or any other group over the killings does not in any way conclude the case because it has no bearing before the courts as these are not made under oath.
“The investigation into the killing of FEU football stalwart Kieth Absalon and his uncle Nolven Absalon should not slacken, much less, halt, regardless of the pronouncement of the CPP-NPA taking full responsibility of the gruesome deaths,” said Fortun, also governor of the Philippine Football Federation.
“This is not case closed simply because the CPP-NPA owned up to the IED detonation and sought apology. Members of the family of the victims have raised concerns their kin died not just of explosion, but were actually shot as sustained wounds would show,” Fortun added.
While the Philippine National Police in Bicol conduct follow-up operations in Masbate, “it may be best that the National Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice intervene now to probe the killings,” the lawmaker suggested.
On Tuesday, the CPP and NPA, in a news statement, said they express “their deep remorse over the untimely and unnecessary deaths of cousins Keith and Nolven Absalon and injury to others resulting from errors in the military action mounted by an NPA unit in Barangay Anas, Masbate City last Sunday.”
“The entire CPP and NPA take full responsibility for the tragedy. There is no justification for the aggravation this has caused the Absalon family,” the CPP and NPA said.
Moreover, Fortun emphasized that NBI autopsy report of the victims’ remains is necessary to ascertain what caused their deaths.
“The initial reports of IED detonation do not seem to be consistent with the injuries which could be plainly seen in the pictures and videos of Kieth and Nolven. Given these circumstances, the intervention of NBI should be sought,” Fortun said.
Rare condemnation
The House Makabayan bloc, meanwhile, condemned the military action by a unit of the NPA in Masbate City.
“Our commitment to human rights binds us to condemn any and all acts that harm or kill unarmed civilians, non-combatants, and protected persons in situations of armed conflict,” the bloc said.
“Even as we condole with the Absalon family, we respectfully urge them to report the tragic incident to the Joint Monitoring Committee [JMC], the body that accepts complaints on the non-compliance by either the CPP-NPA or the government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police on the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law [CARHRIHL],” the bloc said.
The bloc added that the filing of a complaint with the JMC will serve as an important reminder to the government and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) that represents the CPP-NPA to always abide by the laws of war.
“We look forward to a full and impartial investigation into the incident, and to the CPP-NPA’s response to any complaint to be filed against them with the JMC,” it said.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is composed of Bayan Muna Party-list Reps. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers’ Party-list Rep. France Castro and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago.
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