LUCENA CITY, Quezon – Two children were wounded when New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed military forces in Barangay Bacong Ibaba, General Luna town in Quezon, Tuesday morning.
Two children, Kimberly Macalalad, 6, and brother Albert, 2, and their mother, Hazel Macalalad, were wounded from the blasts of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted along the road for the ambush.
Kimberly sustained wounds on her left ear, Albert on the right cheek, and Hazel on the index finger. The victims are currently recovering in Bondoc Peninsula District Hospital.
After detonating the IEDs, the rebels further fired upon the military personnel of the 514th Engineer Construction Battalion, Philippine Army, who were en route to Catanauan, Quezon.
Government forces fired back ensuing a gunbattle that left five personnel slightly wounded.
“We condemn these inhumane acts of the terrorists. They do not value the lives of civilians, especially the children,” said Lieutenant General Danilo Pamonag, Commander of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM).
Pamonag added that the use of IEDs is a clear violation of the human rights of the victims.
The Philippines is one of the signatories to the Geneva Convention and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, where Protocol II prohibits and restricts the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices.`
It is further emphasized in Chapter 3, Section 4.25.iv of Republic Act 9851 that “weapons, projectiles and material and methods which are of the nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering or which are inherently indiscriminate in violation of the international law of armed conflict”, such as landmines and improvised explosive devices are banned.
“This incident will not deter us from serving and protecting the people, but it will further strengthen our resolve to perform our mandated tasks well,” vowed.
“We also encourage the public to join hands with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) in tracking the insurgents who executed the ambush and to help in seeking justice for the victims,” the SOLCOM commanding general appealed. (Pau Mojar/PNA)
