BACOLOD City — A lawmaker from Negros Occidental and the Bacolod City Council are seeking separate investigations into the April 19 armed encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental that left 19 people dead, amid growing public demand for clarity and accountability.
Javier Miguel Benitez, representative of the Third District of Negros Occidental, has filed House Resolution No. 968 calling for a congressional inquiry into the incident in Barangay Salamanca.
The resolution directs the appropriate House committee to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation to establish the facts surrounding the clash.
Initial reports said troops from the 79th Infantry “Masaligan” Battalion of the Philippine Army engaged individuals allegedly linked to the New People’s Army (NPA). The encounter resulted in 19 fatalities, including two United States citizens, according to the resolution.
Benitez underscored the need for an impartial probe, citing “conflicting and opposing public narratives” that have emerged following the incident. He said the inquiry aims not only to determine accountability but also to identify possible legislative measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
At the local level, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Bacolod has also called for an investigation.
The council approved a resolution authored by Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairperson of the SP Committee on Human Rights, urging the Commission on Human Rights, particularly its Negros Island Region office, to conduct an “immediate, transparent, and impartial” probe.
The resolution likewise seeks the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation and independent forensic experts to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Citing reports from alternative media and peasant groups, the city council said several of those killed were allegedly activists and civilians engaged in fieldwork.
Among them were reportedly a community journalist, student leaders, and international human rights advocates who were said to be studying renewable energy impacts in the area.
The incident has heightened public concern, with various sectors calling for accountability and stronger safeguards for civilians in conflict zones.
The resolution also pointed to the government’s anti-insurgency campaign led by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which manages a multibillion-peso budget for reintegration programs and development initiatives in insurgency-affected communities.
Both the congressional and local measures stressed the urgency of resolving the “two conflicting narratives” presented by the military and activist groups, and of ensuring safeguards to prevent similar tragedies./PN
