Press Release
August 29, 2008

GORDON: "IHL BILL WILL PUNISH ALL"

Concerned about the continuing conflict in Mindanao, Senator Richard J. Gordon stressed the need for both the troops of the government and of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to strictly adhere to International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

"The conflict in Mindanao has brought much suffering and pain to our people. We hear of the agony of families torn apart and displaced due to this conflict. Civilians should not be made innocent victims of these atrocities. There is a need to educate the people on IHL and an even greater necessity to enforce it here in our country," Gordon said.

On several trips to Mindanao, Gordon was witness to the hardships of thousands of its inhabitants. With the latest National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) report that the death toll already reached 56, wounded victims at 69 and displaced families at 78,093, Gordon emphasized the need for both the Government and the MILF forces to act in conformity with IHL principles.

"We have already filed a bill which seeks to punish acts committed in violation of International Humanitarian Law which include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, among others," Gordon said.

He further declared, "The bill will punish all. Nobody is above the law. Our bill ensures that neither rank nor stature will serve as a shield from criminal prosecution."

Notably, Senate Bill No. 1446 eliminated holding a public office as a defense for violations of IHL. Even a head of State, a member of Congress or any government official exercising official functions would not be exempted from prosecution.

The carefully crafted bill ensured compliance with IHL by military officers. It underscored command responsibility, such that a military commander or a person effectively acting as a military commander would be held liable for crimes committed by individuals under his or her effective command, control or authority, especially for acts which were committed as a result of their failure to properly exercise such command, control or authority.

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