Keith Absalon along with cousin killed in Masbate City
Former Far Eastern University (FEU) footballer Keith Absalon, together with his cousin and nephew, were riding their bicycles on June 10th when a sudden Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast killed both Keith and his cousin, and injured Keith’s 16-year-old nephew. Police reports state that the cousins were also shot. The police are still in the process of determining whether the cause of death was the blast itself or the gunshots. Both the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) have claimed responsibility for the cousins’ deaths and have issued apologies to the families of the victims.
According to Article 1 of the Ottawa Treaty (also known as the Mine-Ban treaty), “Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to use anti personnel mines.” Landmines are considered a breach of international humanitarian law because they are not capable of differentiating between combatants and civilians. The Philippine government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) condemned the New People’s Army (NPA) for breaching international law and called for the prosecution of those responsible.
Who are the New People’s Army?
The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP, a Maoist group formed in 1969, whose goal is to overthrow the current Philippine government through armed insurrection. During the Marcos dictatorship in the ‘80s, the NPA reached 20,000 active members, their highest peak of membership yet. Over the years, their numbers have gradually decreased and are at only about 4,000 now. The controversial Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has designated the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as a terrorist organization, but they are yet to be recognized as terrorists by any international governing body.
Who were the victims?
Keith Absalon was a scholar and a midfielder for the Far Eastern University (FEU) men’s football team. He also played for Malaya FC and represented our country in countless international tournaments. His former club and former teammates all mourned the loss of one of the best footballers in the country. His cousin, Noven Absalon, was a union leader and had a 16-year-old son who also sustained injuries in the blast.
Implications
Southern Luzon Police Chief Lt. General Antonio Parlade Jr. has put forward a proposal to put Masbate under Police Control due to the incident. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Parlade has stated that “Talagang we have to do something. In fact, I have been talking to Secretary Año (Interior Secretary) and Secretary Esperon (National Security Adviser), saying, “Sir, we would like to recommend that this place be put under police control.”
With the Philippine government having been criticized for using communists as an excuse to abuse their power, like in the case of the “red tagging” of certain individuals or movements, will this incident be used to justify the actions of the administration and encourage them to enact measures that may be seen as dictatorial?
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