NPA atrocities cases set to be filed with UN body

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has sent a delegation to Geneva to formally file a complaint with the United Nations against alleged atrocities and human rights abuses committed by communist rebels.

Led by National Security Council deputy director general Vicente Agdamag, the team handed the complaint early this week to Ambassador Evan Garcia, the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, for transmittal to the UN Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The complaint named the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in the Philippines as perpetrator of human rights abuses.

The Philippine delegation also tagged as front organizations of the CPP-NPA-NDF some non-government organizations such as the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Mindanao Interfaith Service Foundation Inc. (MISFI), IBON Foundation and the human rights group Karapatan.

The team also called the attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to alleged inaction of UN Rapporteur on Indigenous People Victoria Tauli-Corpuz on alleged IP abuses.