By CESAR JOLITO III
The Philippine Army has expressed readiness to cooperate with an investigation by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) into the April 19 military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 people dead.
Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala said the military welcomes scrutiny of the incident, stressing confidence that evidence would support the conduct of government troops during the operation.
“We are open to investigation, and the evidence will speak for us,” Dema-ala said in a message to reporters.
He maintained that those killed in the encounter were members of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (NPA), rejecting claims from left-leaning groups that some of the fatalities were civilians.
According to Dema-ala, the engagement was a legitimate armed encounter carried out against communist rebels and conducted under existing rules of engagement, with consideration for civilian safety.
At the same time, the Army said it supports an impartial inquiry into reports alleging civilian deaths in Negros Occidental, including incidents linked to the group of the late Roger Fabillar, also known as “Jhong.”
“We call for a fair, thorough and impartial investigation into the reported deaths of civilians … to ensure that all facts are established and accountability is upheld,” he added.
The CHR earlier raised concern over the incident, which reportedly resulted in 19 fatalities, including student leader Alyssa Alano and community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma.
The commission has launched an independent investigation through its office in the Negros Island Region.
2 Fil-Americans, another UP student among fatalities
Two Filipino-Americans and another student from the University of the Philippines (UP) were among the fatalities in the encounter.
US-based activist groups identified the Filipino-American fatalities as 26-year-old Kai Sorem and 40-year-old Lyle Prijoles.
In separate statements, Anakbayan USA and Bayan USA condemned the deaths of Sorem and Prijoles, describing them as community-oriented advocates who had been engaging with marginalized sectors in Negros Occidental.
Anakbayan-USA said Sorem, who was raised in Washington state, had returned to the Philippines this year to reconnect with her roots and work with farming communities after earlier exposure to the conditions of peasants and fisherfolk.
Bayan-USA said Prijoles, a human rights advocate based in California, was in Negros to immerse with local communities and document their struggles, particularly on land and social justice issues.
Both groups called for justice and pressed for an independent inquiry into what they described as a “massacre.”
Meanwhile, the UP Open University (UPOU) separately confirmed that Maureen Keil Santuyo, an associate of arts student, was also among those killed.
The UPOU also urged a “transparent and thorough investigation” and called for accountability should human rights violations be established.
It described Santuyo as a youth advocate committed to supporting marginalized agrarian communities and appealed for restraint in public discourse, particularly against unverified accusations involving members of the academic community.
Human rights investigators have also coordinated with local civil society groups, authorities and security forces, as well as families of the deceased, to facilitate the retrieval of remains in Toboso and nearby Escalante City.
The April 19 clash remains under parallel review by both the CHR and security forces as competing accounts continue to emerge over the identities and circumstances surrounding those killed./CJ, WDJ