By CESAR JOLITO III
A recent wave of killings across Negros Island, claimed by communist rebel groups, is drawing renewed concern over the island’s deepening crisis of impunity and its impact on ongoing peace initiatives, the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) said.
Lt. Colonel J-jay Javines, 3ID spokesperson, said that while programs aimed at reintegrating former rebels and supporting local livelihoods are underway, continued bloodshed risks undermining public trust and long-term progress.
“Despite public outrage, many of the killings remain unresolved,” Javines said.
The Philippine Army condemned the recent killings in Negros, calling them “unjustified acts of terror against innocent civilians.”
“These are not legitimate targets. These are civilians,” Javines said, urging human rights organizations to denounce the rebel-perpetrated violence.
The 3ID spokesperson said the renewed violence poses a serious threat to the island’s peace and development efforts.
Meanwhile, civil society leaders said this lack of accountability has fostered a climate of fear, particularly in rural areas where both rebel and military presence is strong.
Human rights groups and church leaders emphasized that the attacks reflect a broader issue — systemic failure to deliver justice and protect communities.
Earlier, the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Leonardo Panaligan and Roselyn Jean Pelle Commands (RJPC) admitted responsibility for at least five recent killings, accusing the victims of being military informants or criminals.
On Tuesday, July 1, NPA remnants claimed the death of a senior citizen in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town.
Initial police investigations showed three unidentified armed men barged into the victim’s residence and shot him several times.
Authorities found no motive or reason for the killing of the 64-year-old tricycle driver.
In June, the RJPC claimed responsibility for the death of a 63-year-old farmer at Barangay Minapasok in Calatrava town.
The victim, identified as Tolindoy Nepalar, was pronounced dead following the incident.
RJPC, in a statement, said Nepalar was accused of being an intelligence asset of the 79th Infantry Battalion and allegedly acted as a hitman for the military.
On June 28, the RJPC also carried out a “punitive action” against Isagani Imalay, shooting him in the head outside the residence in Toboso’s Barangay Bandila.
Toboso police indicated that seven unidentified suspects, armed with high-powered firearms, were involved in the victim’s death.
The RJSC admitted to the killing of three other civilians in Victorias City and E.B. Magalona town in previous months.
The Romeo Nanta Command also claimed responsibility for Jesmer Pacunla’s death on June 24 at Sitio Casipongan in Himamaylan City’s Barangay Carabalan.
They accused the victim of serving as an intelligence asset for the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion.
The killings mirror a troubling pattern of violence that has plagued Negros for years, with earlier incidents, such as the 2018 Sagay massacre and the 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, still fresh in public memory.
Advocates are calling for urgent reforms, including stronger legal action against perpetrators, genuine peace dialogues, and addressing the root causes of conflict, such as land inequality and poverty.
Without these, they warn, the cycle of violence in Negros would persist — at the cost of lives, stability and hope for peace./CJ, WDJ