QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — An international human rights group is asking President Rodrigo Duterte to take back his threat of bombing Lumad schools which he said are being run by communists.
Human Rights Watch – Asia Division Philippine Researcher Carlos Conde said that it is clear that what President Duterte threatens to do is a form of war crime as it is illegal to create violence against civilian teachers and students.
“By calling for an attack on schools, Duterte is directing the military to commit war crimes. International humanitarian law – the laws of war – prohibits attacks on schools and other civilian structures unless they are being used for military purposes,” Conde said.
“Deliberately attacking civilians, including students and teachers, is also a war crime,” he added.
A statement from the Human Rights Watch said that “indigenous-run peoples’ schools have long been targets of the military and paramilitary forces, which accuse them of being ‘training grounds’ for the (New People’s Army).”
“Government security forces in Mindanao have largely escaped accountability for such abuses,” it said.
“Duterte should publicly retract his threat of violence against tribal schools before the military acts on them,” it added.
During his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 24, President Duterte condemned insurgents for destroying bridges and torching schools in the countryside, also noting that they were sparing indigenous lumad schools, which he alleged were teaching individuals to rebel against the state.
“Get out of there, I’m telling the Lumads now. I’ll have those bombed, including your structures,” the President said. “I will use the Armed forces, the Philippine Air Force. I’ll really have those bombed … because you are operating illegally and you are teaching the children to rebel against government.”
