STATEMENT

OF THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR HUMAN

RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES (ICHRP) ON THE RECENT AERIAL
BOMBARDMENT CAMPAIGN (March 27, 2017)
Is Canada Complicit in Philippine War Crimes/State Terrorism?
The International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-Canada) is
deeply concerned over attacks on civilian targets in recent weeks and the potential
connection to Canada.
Over the past two weeks, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been
conducting a number of aerial strikes on civilian targets. The recent spate of aerial
bombardment on civilians follows the order of President Rodrigo Duterte on March
9, 2017 to flatten the hills. Since his pronouncement, at least three incidents of
aerial strikes on civilian communities were reported.
On March 11, the Philippine military launched aerial strikes from at least 3
helicopters and dropped ten (10) bombs in communities in Mabini, Compostela
Valley in Mindanao. These bombings caused the evacuation of 200 individuals.
In a separate incident on the same day, Suara Bangsamoro reported that four
bombs were dropped from FA-50 fighter jets at around 1:00 a.m.. This resulted in
the displacement of around 300 families in Barangay Andabit, Maguindanao (also
in Mindanao). Some 600 soldiers aboard army trucks and tanks were also seen
entering the community at 5:30 a.m. The evacuees sought refuge in neighboring
communities
On March 13, members of a humanitarian mission led by Karapatan observed at
least 2 Huey military helicopters hovering over the communities where the troops
of the Philippine Army were undertaking intensive operations in two villages in
the town of Nasugbu, province of Batangas.
On March 16, it has been reported that four fighter jets of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines dropped at least 14 bombs in communities in Malibcong, Abra
(Northern Luzon). The bombings started forest fires in the barangays of Lat-ey
and Bangilo, and damaged rice fields of the indigenous communities in the area.
The military operation also forcibly displaced 56 families and forced schools to
suspend classes to ensure the security of students, teachers, and personnel.

Possible Canadian Connection

In 2014, the Philippine government ordered eight Huey Helicopters (Bell 412EP)
from Canada and the helicopters were subsequently delivered and commissioned by
the Philippine Airforce in November 2015. Three of the helicopters are being used
for VIP transport; the remaining five were configured as combat utility helicopters.
The Canadian helicopters have been assigned to the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing
based in Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu. The 205th is responsible for conducting
tactical helicopter operations in support of the Philippine Airforce (PAF) and the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) out of bases in Mindanao, Cebu and Luzon.
The concern is that these vehicles may be participating in attacks on the civilian
population. On March 13, a humanitarian mission that brought food and relief to
evacuated villagers in Nasugbu, Batangas witnessed and photographed at least two
Huey helicopters hovering over the community during counter insurgency
operations. While no civilians may have been killed or injured during the bombing
operations in Nasugbu, 200 residents in 4 villages were forcibly removed from their
homes and hamletted in a school in another village.
When the Canadian government announced the sale of the helicopters in 2013,
concerns were raised to the government and Members of Parliament that the
helicopters might be used against civilian communities in military operations such
as what has taken place in Nasugbu. The concern that the Canadian helicopters
might be used in such bombings sprung from a long history of reports by human
rights organizations and Philippine newspapers about military helicopter bombings
in the conduct of counter-insurgency operations against the New People's Army
where civilians were killed, injured and forced to flee.
Whether or not the Canadian helicopters were used in the bombing of civilian
targets, the fact is that the Government of Canada has supplied the Philippine
military with hardware that is being used in a civil war - a war being conducted
against largely civilian targets in the rural Philippines.
According to Karapatan spokesperson Tina Palabay, State security forces should be
pulled out from communities. The cause of unrest is not solved by bombing
communities or perpetrating more rights abuses.
Dropping bombs from military helicopters on civilian targets are frequently
described as a war crime in Syria. Such state-sponsored terrorism is a war crime
regardless of whether it occurs in the Middle East or Southeast Asia.
In view of President Duterte's instruction to the military to use aerial bombings in
the war against the New Peoples Army (NPA) in disregard of the harm they inflict on
civilian communities,
We wish to know if any of the Bell 412EP helicopters sold by Canada to the
Philippine Army are being used in these bombing operations.
We strongly urge the Canadian government to assess whether the criteria for the
sale of the helicopters are being observed by the Philippine military.
We call on the Canadian government to suspend all sales of military goods and
all defense-related assistance to the Philippine Government.
We urge the Canadian government to call on President Duterte to put an
immediate end to the military aerial bombings on communities and to vigorously
pursue the continuation of the peace talks between the Philippine government
and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to address the root
causes of the civil war in the Philippines.
For more information contact Bern Jaguos , ICHRP Global Council Member
bern.jagunos@rogers.com