Malacañang on Thursday extended condolences to the families of individuals killed in a legitimate military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, and said it backs a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident.
This comes after ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights raised concerns over the deaths of 19 civilians, which they claimed may constitute violations of international humanitarian law.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said it is important to allow due process and proper investigation before drawing conclusions on accountability.
“It is good that there are agencies that monitor and protect human rights,” she said in a press briefing.
“It may not yet be appropriate to draw conclusions without a full-blown hearing or trial where we can say that there are people already guilty of the alleged human rights violations”, Castro said.
Castro said the government is currently relying on the official account of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which insists the operation was conducted in accordance with “international humanitarian law and strict rules of engagement to safeguard civilian lives.”
Citing the statement of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Castro said the military rejects allegations that civilians were deliberately targeted.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines firmly reject claims that the Toboso encounter was an indiscriminate attack on civilians. Evidence on the ground confirms a legitimate armed engagement with members of the New People’s Army (NPA), not the targeting on non-combatants,” she said.
Castro said the AFP is open to cooperating with any lawful and independent investigation.
She added that Brawner has expressed confidence in the integrity of the AFP’s operations and adherence to due process.
Castro also acknowledged reports that the Communist Party of the Philippines has denied that nine of those killed were members of its armed wing, the NPA.
She said the Palace sympathized with the families of the deceased but emphasized the need for a full, independent probe.
“Of course, we extend our sympathies if there were those who have lost their lives, but as of now, if that is what they are claiming, the AFP also has its own version of the events. That is why a thorough investigation is really needed, and the AFP is open regarding this matter,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, a ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Thursday said the body respects the proposed House inquiry over the April 19 clash in Toboso, even as they hope the investigation will see to it that no more minors or foreigners will be drawn into insurgency.
NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., in a statement, was referring to the filing of House Resolution 968.
“The task force recognizes that legislative inquiries, when conducted in good faith, are an important part of democratic governance. Our legislators’ efforts to establish facts, clarify circumstances, and determine whether policy or measures are needed are important exercises of oversight. We therefore welcome any lawful process anchored on evidence, objectivity, and the commitment to truth,” Torres said.
He said the NTF-ELCAC stands by the account of government troops that the incident in Toboso was an armed encounter between government forces and the New People’s Army’s North Negros Front, and a result of the vigilance of the residents of the communities.
“Reports indicate that the operation was triggered by civilian information, and subsequent intelligence confirmed the presence of an armed formation, the recovery of weapons, and the neutralization of individuals engaged in hostilities,” Torres said.
He said these are the conditions of an active conflict environment.
“Even the Communist Party of the Philippines itself admitted that a ‘tactical defeat’ occurred in an armed encounter. You cannot claim a “tactical defeat” and, in the same breath, insist that those involved were merely unarmed civilians. That contradiction raises serious questions and risks distorting the facts surrounding what was clearly a combat situation,” Torres said.
He added any inquiry on the Toboso encounter must be careful not to obscure this “fundamental reality.”
“The pursuit of ‘balanced narratives’ should not lead to false equivalence between state forces operating under the Constitution and armed groups that function outside the rule of law,” Torres said.
He said mechanisms for accountability are already in place.
He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) operates under established rules of engagement, international humanitarian law, and a chain of command subject to civilian authority.
“These are not ad hoc systems, but structured mechanisms designed to uphold discipline, legality, and the protection of civilians,” Torres added.
He said these rules distinguish AFP lawful operations from actions carried out outside the legal framework, such as the NPA’s killings of civilians in Negros, which they justified by spy-tagging.
Community reports now indicate at least 46 cases of such summary killings across the island.
“If the objective of the inquiry is to prevent similar incidents in the future, then the discussion must go beyond the encounter itself. It must confront the conditions that allow armed elements to operate within communities, recruit individuals, including children, the youth, and even outside the country, and sustain activities that inevitably lead to violent confrontation,” Torres said.*PNA
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