Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will examine the complaint filed by Myanmar nationals against their military known as Tatmadaw, Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday.
“Ito po ay kailangang pag-aralan muna namin bago sabihin ang ganap na mangyayari,” Remulla said in a briefing. “Kung ito ay sufficient in form and substance saka natin pasasagutin yung mga taong dapat managot sa mga reklamong ito.”
[Translation: We need to study this first before announcing what will happen. If this is sufficient in form and substance, then we will hold the persons responsible for these complaints accountable.]
Natives of Chin State, Myanmar flew to Manila to ask the Philippine government for assistance in investigating the alleged burning of their homes and killing of family members, among other war crimes, committed by officials of Tatmadaw.
Five members of the predominantly Christian state filed the joint criminal complaint before the DOJ under the principle of mandatory universal jurisdiction in Republic Act No. 9851 or the “Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.”
They accused the respondents of killing their family members, torching their houses, and attacking Christian churches.
The military also allegedly impeded relief supplies to starve Chin’ s civilians as a method of warfare.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi — a figurehead of the opposition to decades of military rule in the country — in 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition, especially in Chin, which took up arms and became a key resistance force.
Romel Bagares, among their Filipino lawyers known in the human rights scene, called the complaint a “landmark suit.”
“This is a case for war crimes. This is the very first time that such a case is being brought before the Philippines and this is under Philippine law, it’s called the International Humanitarian Law Act of 2010,” Bagares said.
Bagares explained the law allows universal jurisdiction, which means “that if a crime happens abroad and that crime is classified as a war crime, a genocide crime, or crimes against humanity, then the Philippines has a duty to prosecute once this crime is brought to its attention.”
Based on the Chin Human Rights Organization, the Myanmar military forced the displacement of an estimated 120,000 people, which constitute 20% of the entire population of Chin State.
Another Filipino legal counsel, Gilbert Andres, said the complainants brought the case to the Philippines as they no longer have other options.
“We are expecting first of all this is a truly historic day because we can’t find justice in our own country and we are expecting that the Philippines is the place where we can find some form of justice from the atrocities we have suffered,” complainant Salai Ling said.
