By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) strongly condemns the Macapagal-Arroyo regime for blatantly violating its ceasefire agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), launching massive indiscriminate attacks causing death, injury and uprooting to tens of thousands of civilians in North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.
Such indiscriminate bombardment with OV-10 Bronco warplanes, machine-gun strafing by helicopter gunships, and artillery fire are also serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law that strictly prohibit military attacks against civilians and civilian communities. The Macapagal-Arroyo regime and its Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) must be held accountable for these atrocities and all the death, injury and damage to the tens of thousands of civilians.
The governments and international bodies that sponsored and witnessed the signing of the GRP-MILF ceasefire agreement and other bilateral agreements ought to censure the Macapagal-Arroyo regime and lend their firm support to the MILF.
The NDFP expresses its firm support for the just struggle of the Moro people for national self-determination. The NDFP supports the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's just demand to the GRP for the immediate withdrawal of AFP troops and to cease the GRP's gross violations of its bilateral agreements with the MILF.
The regime must be made to respect and comply with the agreements it has signed with the MILF. It must indemnify the tens of thousands of civilians for the death, injury, and damage they have suffered due to the indiscriminate bombardments, shelling and strafing by the AFP. The tens of thousands of internal refugees must be allowed to return to their lands and homes and be assisted in rebuilding their destroyed or damaged homes and crops.
The NDFP calls for immediate and urgently needed support and assistance to the Moro people and all those victimized by the regime's gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
