Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is saddened by the death of 19 alleged rebels in Toboso and is hoping members of the New People’s Army will lay down their arms so the killings will end.
“The Philippine Army has openly declared that it was justice served but for me personally when incidents like this happen it really saddens me because its Filipinos fighting Filipinos,” Lacson said on Tuesday, April 21.
“We continue to call on our brothers and sisters in the movement to lay down their arms and join government,” he said.
For those who have already done so, the governor said the national and provincial governments have done their share to give them a fresh start.
“We’re hoping that members of the NPA will just lay down their arms and join us, we are ready to continue to help them,” he said.
Lacson said he hopes no more killings will happen, especially in northern Negros.
“In the past few months many unfortunate incidents happened in northern Negros”, he said, in apparent reference to the numerous killings of civilians that were owned by the NPA.
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, in a pastoral statement, said the encounter in Toboso must not end in a body count.
“It must become a wake-up call. The conversation must return to root causes, not focus solely on armed actors. Peace processes must be inclusive, not reduced to military solutions,” he said.
“Rural development must be just and participatory. Communities caught in the crossfire must be protected. And accountability must be pursued, both for past and present abuses, so that justice is not delayed or denied, Alminaza said.
Alminaza said the narrative should be changed from one of recurring violence to one grounded “in justice, peace, and shared humanity”.
“A just peace is not merely the absence of gunfire. It is the presence of justice in land, labor, and livelihood, participation in governance, truth-telling and accountability, the healing of historical wounds, and the restoration of human dignity. It demands more courage than war, because it requires transformation, not domination,” Alminaza said.*
[sibwp_form id=1]