On Friday, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) demanded "greater accountability" from CPP-NPA. It called on the government to ensure that perpetrators are held to account under the law.
“If the New People’s Army is serious and sincere about taking accountability for the IED (improvised explosive device) killing of civilians in Masbate—beyond owning responsibility, offering indemnity, and promising an investigation—they should identify all those responsible and surrender them to the lawful authorities to face justice within the court system. They should likewise be held accountable for all other crimes they have perpetrated in violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws since they began pursuing this armed conflict,” CHR said in a statement.
Col. Aldwine Almase, commander of 903rd Infantry Brigade, lambasted the communist terrorist group for the "cowardly" acts of bombing civilians. Almase said the Left resorted to desperate tactics because the Joint Task Force (JTF) Bicolandia and Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) have created sustainable and successful intensified security operations and campaigns in Bicol.
In a statement, Almase said: “These were conducted to intimidate the populace, the local government officials and other sectors of the society who are now aware and denouncing the unacceptable ways and objectives of the terrorist NPAs and their cohorts.”
Major General Henry Robinson Jr., head of the 9th Infantry Division stressed that the bombing was a manifestation of the CPP-NPA's weakening capability as they could no longer face the security forces head-on.
Robinson described the communist terrorist group as "anti-people, anti-development and selfish."
“Sinasabi nilang pinuprotektahan nila ang masa at binabatikos nila ang gobyerno dahil sa mga pagkukulang nito pero ang totoo, ang kanilang grupo ang nagpapahirap sa mamamayan dahil pansariling interes lamang ang kanilang iniisip. The JTF Bicolandia will work hand in hand with our counterpart in the PNP to arrest the perpetrators of these heinous crimes," Robinson said.
