Utrecht, The Netherlands–The NDFP Special Office for the Protection of Children has strongly condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the February 8 killing of at least two children, one 9-year old and another 12-year old, and the wounding of another child in Barangay Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar as a result of indiscriminate strafing conducted by the 20th Infantry Battallion.

The AFP has been spreading the fake news that there was an encounter between fascist troops and NPA guerrillas, and that the NPA hit the children who were caught in the crossfire.

According to Coni Ledesma, Head of the NDFP Special Office for the Protection of Children, the Special Office received field reports from both the NDFP Eastern Visayas and the New People’s Army-Efren Martires Command, belying the lies and propaganda of the AFP and consequently of fascist General Eduardo Ano of the DILG, claiming there was an encounter between fascist troops and guerrillas of the Efren Martires Command.

Citing the NDFP-EV and NPA-EV reports, Ledesma said, the offensive operation conducted by the NPA guerrillas, which resulted in the death of two fascist troops, was in another location.

She stressed that the NPA follows clear and strict rules to protect civilians, especially children. The reports her office received on the killings of the children in Catubig, Northern Samar, stated that one of the children pointed to the fascist soldiers who fired at them before dying.

“The AFP and the Duterte regime, are spinning lies to cover-up their war crimes against the people and crimes against humanity. This latest crime violates the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, and international conventions on the conduct of war and the protection of civilians,” Ledesma said.

Ledesma added, quoting reports from the NPA and NDFP in EV, that the AFP gave several thousand pesos to the victims’ families apparently to “silence” them, cover-up the crime and discourage them from filing criminal complaints against the responsible fascist troops.

Ledesma stressed that the NDFP Special Office for the Protection of Children and the NDFP Peace Negotiating Panel together with the NDFP and NPA forces in Eastern Visayas, extend their condolences to the families of the children, and vowed to ask justice from the people’s revolutionary courts.

Paraphrasing the words of General Ano, Ledesma exclaimed, “these fascist AFP terrorists are heartless and despicable. The AFP and the Duterte regime have, time and again, proven they are guilty of crimes against humanity.”#