BAGUIO CITY — Parliamentarians from Southeast Asian nations condemned the killing of 19 individuals in a military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19, including nine identified as civilians.
“An operation that cannot distinguish between armed combatants and community workers is an indiscriminate attack that violates international humanitarian law. The AFP must be held accountable,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) chairperson Mercy Chriesty Barends said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said all 19 killed were members of the New People’s Army and reported the seizure of firearms.
However, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has disputed the military’s claim.
CPP information officer Marco Valbuena identified 10 of the 19 people killed as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), while claiming the remaining fatalities were civilians.
These include community journalist R.J. Nichole Ledesma, UP Diliman student leader Alyssa Alano, peasant rights advocates Maureen Keil Santuyo and Errol Wendel Chen, Filipino-American rights advocates Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem, farmer Roel Sabillo, and two minors
Ledesma, 30, was the regional coordinator of the Altermidya Network. Altermidya said he was not at the initial clash site and was killed separately during a military pursuit in Sitio Plariding.
Valbuena said the incident was a “massacre” and claimed the nine were “unarmed,” disputing the military’s account that the operation was a legitimate armed encounter.
HUSTISYA! Youth and progressive groups protest on April 28, calling for justice for the “Negros 19” and an end to militarization in communities on Negros Island. (Jhona Reyes Vitor/Altermidya)
The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) launched an independent investigation following inconsistencies in the victims’ identities, stating that “in case of doubt, persons shall be presumed civilians.” It also reported the displacement of at least 167 families, or 653 individuals, from the area.
Ledesma, 30, was the regional coordinator of the Altermidya Network. Altermidya said he was not at the initial clash site and was killed separately during a military pursuit in Sitio Plariding.
APHR is among the latest organizations to lend its voice to the mounting calls for the Philippine government to ensure an independent probe into the incident.
“The AFP does not operate in a vacuum. These killings happen because the Philippine government allows them to. A government that kills civilians and calls them terrorists cannot lead a region toward democratic governance,” said Wong Chen, APHR board member. #nordis.net
