The order to shoot armed communists rebels dead at first sight came from President Rodrigo Duterte himself, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said Tuesday.
Esperon stood by the president’s statements that human rights should not be considered when dealing with communist rebels.
“Sa talumpati ng pangulo ay nabanggit niya na ubusin na lahat ang NPA (New People’s Army) at huwag tayong mag-alala sa human rights. Tama naman iyon dahil armado iyang mga NPA na iyan at alangan namang ang iisipin mo pa ay human rights. Isipin na natin kung paano natin sila matalo,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing.
Just last Friday, at least nine activists were killed in a police operation in Calabarzon two days after Duterte ordered soldiers to kill armed rebels without regard for human rights.
Duterte said he was ready to go to jail to purge insurgency in the country.
Esperon said Duterte’s order was made “in the name of peace, law and order.”
“[K]apag nakita na natin silang may dalang armas, ano pa nga ba iyon? Dahil kung hindi mo naman babarilin kaagad ay ikaw naman ang mababaril. Lalo na iyong ating mga kababayan diyan sa mga barangay na kung saan may impluwensiya pa itong NPA na ito. Kaya dapat lang in the name of peace, law and order ay binitawan na nga ni Pangulo ulit ang shoot to kill order against the armed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA,” Esperon said.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the government would probe the Calabarzon killings.
However, he said the killing armed rebels was not a violation under International Humanitarian Law.
“Hindi po paglabag ng batas, International Humanitarian Law, kapag nagpaputok ang sundalo sa isang armadong NPA fighter at mapatay ang NPA fighter,” he said.