The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance has received disturbing photos and accounts regarding the mutilated body of a casualty in a firefight that took place between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance
May 5, 2022
The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance has received disturbing photos and accounts regarding the mutilated body of a casualty in a firefight that took place between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army on May 3, 2023 in Balbalan, Kalinga. The casualty is believed to be a member of the NPA.
Witnesses were able to see the state of the body and photos show the corpse’s head and limbs were missing.
If the victim was willfully decapitated and his limbs hacked off before or after he was killed, this would constitute a grievous violation of International Humanitarian Law.
International Humanitarian Law clearly defines mutilation, desecration of remains, and even willful killing of 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘵 as war crimes.
(A combatant is 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘵 if he is in the power of an adverse party; he clearly expresses an intention to surrender; or he has been rendered unconscious or is otherwise incapacitated by wounds or sickness, and is therefore incapable of defending himself.)
A fundamental rule of international humanitarian law is that persons who are hors de combat must not be attacked and must be treated humanely. (http://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/hors-de-combat)
We urge those in authority to investigate this. We likewise call on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to immediately look into this case.
We denounce war crimes and all violations of International Humanitarian Law. #