BACOLOD City — The ongoing armed conflict in Negros Occidental once again drew public attention after the New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the killing of two individuals in Calatrava, while government anti-insurgency officials lamented what they described as the continuing human cost of the decades-long communist insurgency on Filipino families.
In a statement issued by Ka Cecil Estrella, spokesperson of the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJPC) under the Northern Negros Guerrilla Front, the rebel group admitted carrying out two separate “penalty actions” in Calatrava earlier this month.
The NPA said the operations were conducted weeks after the so-called “Toboso 19 massacre,” which it described as an attack allegedly committed against civilians.
According to the statement, the first incident occurred on May 5 in Sitio Agbalatuan, Barangay Dolis, Calatrava, where 53-year-old Jemar Mahusay was killed.
The group accused Mahusay of multiple offenses, including the killing of his brother, alleged involvement in robbery, threats against his mother, and harassment of women in the community.
A second killing was reported on May 13 in Barangay Minautok, where the group claimed responsibility for the death of 53-year-old Gerry Baitan.
The NPA alleged that Baitan was involved in the rape of his 18-year-old daughter, who is a person with disability (PWD), and that he also served as an informant for the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion by identifying alleged rebel supporters and assisting military operations in local communities.
The rebel group said the incidents demonstrate its continued presence in Northern Negros despite government claims that insurgent forces in the area have been dismantled.
It also criticized the police, military, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), accusing them of misleading the public about the state of insurgency in Negros.
As of press time, military and police officials have yet to issue a detailed response to the NPA’s claims.
Meanwhile, the NTF-ELCAC released a separate statement mourning what it called another tragic consequence of armed rebellion following the death of alleged rebel member Vince Francis Dingding.
The task force said the incident highlights how insurgency leads not only to violence in communities but also to long-lasting emotional suffering among families.
“The CPP-NPA-NDF does not merely destroy lives on the battlefield — it destroys families, fractures relationships, and leaves emotional wounds that continue long after the guns fall silent,” the statement read.
NTF-ELCAC said Dingding’s death reflects the painful reality of how young individuals are allegedly drawn away from their families and communities through armed struggle.
The agency also cited a handwritten letter dated May 18 allegedly signed by Dingding’s parents, Romulo and Rica Dingding, requesting that all matters regarding their son’s death be coordinated through their barangay captain to spare the family further emotional distress.
The letter further stated that Dingding’s mother is currently undergoing treatment for colon cancer and was advised to avoid stress during her recovery.
The statement ended with a postscript from the family: “We decided that we will no longer claim his remains in Negros Occidental.”
In a separate statement, the Philippine Army dismissed the findings of a so-called “National Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission,” describing it as recycled propaganda allegedly used by communist terrorist groups to conceal setbacks in Negros.
The Army also accused youth organizations such as Kabataan Party-list, Anakbayan, and allied groups of allegedly encouraging students to join the armed struggle.
It questioned why members of these organizations allegedly end up in combat zones carrying firearms against government troops.
The military further cited recent encounters in Toboso and Cauayan as examples of what it described as a pattern of deception that has led to the deaths of young recruits.
According to the Army, the greater tragedy lies in how students are allegedly drawn into armed conflict instead of pursuing peaceful and productive lives.
It also accused communist rebels of using “spy-tagging” to justify attacks against civilians suspected of cooperating with government forces.
The Philippine Army likewise credited local residents for providing information that helped security forces conduct operations against remaining rebel members in Negros./PN
