Toboso: Contrary to claims that the 19 New People's Army (NPA) members were massacred during the April 19 clash in Toboso, Negros Occidental, a ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the communist insurgents were given every opportunity to surrender, but they refused.
According to Philippines News Agency, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. stated that government forces repeatedly called on the members of the armed group to surrender, emphasizing that no one wanted these encounters to occur. He expressed regret that opportunities for peace were ignored and rejected even during pauses in combat.
Undersecretary Torres pointed out that all 19 individuals involved in the incident were active combatants killed during a legitimate armed engagement with government forces. He dismissed attempts to portray some of the fatalities as civilians, farmers, or researchers, asserting that ample evidence from physical, forensic, and crime scene investigations, along with admissions from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA, confirmed their combatant status.
Torres, quoting 3rd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Michael Samson, mentioned that during the clash, government troops engaged armed individuals, treating them as combatants. He highlighted that regardless of prior identities or affiliations, anyone found armed and actively participating in an encounter is considered a combatant.
Forensic findings presented by Police Col. Reynaldo Calaoa of the Regional Forensic Unit - Negros Island Region showed that 11 of the 19 fatalities tested positive for gunpowder residue. Torres explained that this finding is significant given the exposure of several bodies to seawater and high tide for nearly 24 hours before examination, conditions which could degrade gunshot residue.
Torres addressed the mixed forensic results, where 11 tested positive and eight negative, stating that such outcomes are not uncommon under uneven environmental conditions. He emphasized that a negative paraffin result does not conclusively prove non-participation in the encounter due to the potential loss of detectable residue over time.
The presentation of scene of the crime operatives' findings by Police Brig. Gen. Dennis Wenceslao supported the claim of a legitimate armed encounter. Investigators recovered over 20 firearms, ammunition, communication equipment, and other materials indicative of guerrilla field operations at the site.
At least 10 of the 19 fatalities were publicly acknowledged by the NPA as members, including Roger Fabillar and Josel Guimang, highlighting the group's continued recruitment of child combatants, a violation of humanitarian laws.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Racqel Fortun's observations indicated no close-range firing signs among the fatalities, further supporting the conclusion of a legitimate armed engagement. Torres criticized shifting narratives from the CPP-NPA that attempted to recast the individuals as civilians.
In conclusion, Torres emphasized that the totality of physical evidence, forensic examinations, scene investigations, and admissions from the armed movement pointed to the Toboso incident as a legitimate armed engagement rather than a massacre.
