By CESAR JOLITO III
Families of three individuals killed in an armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town in April have formally appealed for the exhumation of their relatives’ remains as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) continues its independent investigation into the incident.
CHR spokesperson Commissioner Beda Epres confirmed yesterday that the families of Errol Wendel, Joros Caramihan and Labskie Enustacion requested the exhumation during the commission’s ongoing probe.
Epres, who spoke to reporters after attending an event at the Bacolod City Government Center yesterday, said the CHR is currently awaiting clearance from the Toboso Municipal Health Office before proceeding with the request.
Once clearance is secured, the CHR said it will deploy an additional team from its forensic division to assist in the investigation.
The development comes amid conflicting claims surrounding the encounter that left 19 individuals dead.
Earlier, the National Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission claimed that six of those killed were civilians.
However, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) maintained that all 19 fatalities were combatants and insisted that a legitimate armed encounter took place.
According to Epres, the CHR investigation is now around 50 percent complete.
Investigators are currently gathering affidavits from residents and conducting field verification within the five-kilometer area where the clash reportedly occurred.
The CHR also called on government agencies to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Epres said the commission has already coordinated with both the AFP and the Philippine National Police for documents and other records relevant to the case.
Despite coordination with state security forces, Epres emphasized that the CHR’s investigation remains independent and evidence-based.
He added that the commission aims to establish the identities of those killed and determine whether civilians were involved in the incident.
“If it is proven that civilians were among those killed, that would constitute a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law,” Epres said./CJ, WDJ