Public warned vs premature conclusions on Negros clash

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May 1, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday cautioned the public against jumping to conclusions regarding the recent encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental, which left 19 people dead.

Palace communications officer Claire Castro said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) have their versions of the events surrounding the firefight that occurred in Barangay Salamanca on April 19.

“It’s good that we have agencies watching over and protecting human rights. But for us, we should not immediately jump to conclusions if no full-blown hearing or trial has been conducted to determine if there are people guilty of violation of human rights,” Castro said.

Among the fatalities in the clash were University of the Philippines Diliman student Alyssa Alano, Kabataan party-list group nominee RJ Nichole Ledesma and Lyle Prijoles, an American citizen of Filipino descent.

The AFP said the fatalities were members of the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

However, rights groups claimed that nine of the fatalities were civilians including two minors.

“We sympathize if there are people who lost their lives. But as of now, if that is what they are saying, the AFP also has its version. There is a need for a thorough investigation on this and the AFP is open to it,” Castro said.

The AFP has rejected claims that the Toboso encounter was an indiscriminate attack on civilians.

Meanwhile, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF-ELCAC has welcomed calls for a House inquiry into the Toboso encounter.

The task force said that a legislative inquiry would help ensure that no minor or foreigner will be drawn to insurgency.

Earlier, Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez of Negros Occidental filed a measure seeking to investigate the incident.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. said the anti-insurgency body stands with government troops that the incident was an armed encounter between members of state security forces and insurgents. — Pia Lee-Brago