77 prohibited landmines, IEDs, destroyed in CDO

Maj. Francisco Garello, Jr. , of the army’s Division of Public Affairs Office (DPAO), said that the destroyed explosives were seized and recovered from communist insurgents during various mikktary ooerations in North and Northeastern Mindanao regions. He said that the destruction of the IEDs conformed with the Ottawa treaty or the “1997 Anti-Personnel Mine (APM) Ban Convention,” which calls for the prohibition on the use of landmines. LtCol Vladimir DC Sta. Maria, who supervised the destruction of the explosives, said that the biggest IEDs was a 20-liter container sized explosive device that could have easily killed or injured innocent civilians had it not been captured by the government troops. Maj Gen Romeo S Brawner Jr, Commander of the 4ID, said that under the Ottawa Treaty, the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of IEDs and anti-personnel mines is prohibited and restricted in warfare. Brawner said that the continued use and manufacture of the IEDs/APM by the communist insurgents and the New People’s Army (NPA)clearly violated the Ottawa Treaty and the International Human Rights Law (IHL). Garelll said that the IEDs/APM were successfully defused and detonated following the safety protocols in the outskirt village of Tignapolo-an in Cagayan de Oro City. -0-