CHR probes soldiers’ slay in Basilan

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has launched, on its own initiative, an investigation on the killing of three soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan allegedly by Abu Sayyaf bandits.

“The CHR denounces any arbitrary attack that violates the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and tramples on the right to life,” CHR executive director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a press statement yesterday.

“In the context of armed hostilities, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force is prohibited under IHL. Belligerent armed groups and rogue elements that commit human rights abuses must be pursued and held accountable to ensure justice and to uphold the rule of law,” De Guia added.

Reports by the military said the victims were ambushed by at least six men suspected to be Abu Sayyaf bandits as they were on their way to replace another group of soldiers manning a detachment of the Army’s 18th Infantry Battalion.

The ambush occurred in Barangay Magcawa near the town hall of Al-Barka at around 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 15.

The firefight lasted 10 minutes. Two soldiers suffered gunshots to the head, while the third was shot in the abdomen.

The CHR vowed to continue calling for solutions to end the cycle of violence and acts of terror in conflict-torn areas in Mindanao.