By CESAR JOLITO III
Human rights advocates and progressive organizations gathered to honor the 19 individuals killed during the April 19 armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, renewing their call for justice for the victims.
The tribute program, titled “Negros 19: Panaghoy at Paghihimagsik,” was organized by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Karapatan and the University of the Philippines (UP) – Diliman University Student Council.
The event featured speeches, testimonies and cultural performances as participants renewed calls for justice and accountability over what they described as a massacre linked to intensified militarization in rural communities.
According to organizers, the gathering aimed to draw attention to the human rights situation in the country under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Raymond Palatino, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said the incident in Toboso reflects what they described as continuing militarization and state repression in areas where communities oppose large-scale projects and continue campaigns for agrarian reform.
“We are having a hard time establishing links with local communities because of restrictions imposed by the military. The local government unit is their partner,” Palatino said.
“How can we have genuine fact-finding and then independent investigation if our initiatives are being blocked and people are being intimidated?” he asked.
Meanwhile, AMIHAN National Federation of Peasant Women Secretary General Cathy Estavillo claimed that many of those killed were civilians and researchers who had gone to Negros Occidental to document the situation of farmers and land issues in the province.
“Many of them are unarmed. They went there to see the real situation of farmers in Negros. Because in today’s times, especially in Negros, the fundamental issue in Negros remains the lack of land,” Estavillo said.
She emphasized that landlessness remains a major concern in Negros and stressed that peasant communities across the country continue to face displacement and violence amid agrarian conflicts.
The groups also announced plans to pursue legal action and gather evidence for possible local and international complaints over alleged violations of humanitarian and human rights laws related to the incident.
Organizers further alleged that restrictions imposed by military forces in Negros Occidental have hampered independent investigations and fact-finding missions, making it difficult for advocacy groups to establish contact with affected communities.
The groups, likewise, criticized authorities for the alleged lack of accountability over the incident, particularly involving members of the 79th Infantry Battalion, which they claimed led the operation in Toboso.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier maintained that those killed were members of the New People’s Army who died during an armed encounter in the area.
The encounter between government troops and the suspected members of the New People’s Army left 19 individuals dead, including UP Diliman student leader Alyssa Alano, community journalist and Kabataan party-list nominee RJ Nichole Ledesma, and Filipino-American activists Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem./CJ, WDJ