SINUPALPAL ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang Makabayan Bloc sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatigil sa kanila sa ipinipilit nilang Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws (CARHRIHL) dahil mayroon nang Republic Act (RA) No. 9851 o ang Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and other Crimes Against Humanity.

Ang pahayag na ito ng DILG ay dahil nililito umano ng left-wing bloc ang pamilyang Absalon na magsasampa ng kaso laban sa Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) na may Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) sa ilalim ng framework ng CARHRIHL, para sa pagkamatay nina Keith at Nolven Absalon sa pag-atake sa Masbate kamakailan.

Sinabi ni DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya sa left-wing bloc na itigil na ang “paglalagay ng asin sa sugat” ng pamilya dahil ang JMC ay wala na at sarado na ito simula nang hindi matuloy ang usapang pangkapayapaan.

“The JMC does not exist. Period. And even if it did, it had no investigative nor prosecutorial powers. It can only request for investigation to the concerned party,” ani Malaya.

Sinabi pa ni Malaya, ang patuloy na paggiit sa CARHRIHL ay useless. “RA 9851 is the correct legal platform where the families of victims and our government can assert and exact accountability and get justice. CARHRIHL is just an agreement, this is a law. Obvious naman kung alin ang mas mabigat,” pahayag pa niya.

“Moreover, the CPP-NPA does not respect CARHRIHL because it uses both command-donated and contact-detonated landmines as offensive weapons. CARHRIHL clearly prohibits the use of landmines against people especially civilians and yet the Makabayan Bloc wants the family to use this very same agreement to bring the perpetrators to justice. There is no rhyme nor logic,” dagdag pa niya.

Sa isang pahayag, iginiit ng CPP ang CARHRIHL na nakasaad na “Under the CARHRIHL, we are obliged to cooperate with the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) Section of the JMC if a complaint is filed before it.”

“Sa halip na kung ano-anong sinasabi ng left-wing bloc ay tumulong na lamang sila sa gobyerno, ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR), at marami pang grupo sa panawagan sa CPP-NPA na isuko nila ang may kagagawan ng pagpatay sa mga biktima,” dagdag ni Malaya.

Sinabi pa ni Malaya na total ay inamin ng Makabayan Bloc na may “engagements” sila sa CPP-NPA-NDF, may responsibilidad ang bloc sa panawagan sa communist terrorists na isuko nila ang mga suspek.

Sa isinagawang pagdinig noong Nobyembre 24, 2020, si Bayan Muna leader Teddy Casiño ay nagsabi sa Senado na “Our attitude with them is we engage because we recognize that their struggles are rooted in legitimate issues and grievances of our people”.

“They themselves admitted that they have a healthy engagement with the CPP-NPA, so why don’t they use that relationship to bring the perpetrators to justice? They are the only entities in government that have that kind of relationship. Is that too much to ask?” ani Malaya. (JOEL O. AMONGO)