TOBOSO PROBE MUST LEAD TO LAWS THAT PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

April 30, 2026

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Thursday said the planned congressional inquiry into the April 19 encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental must result in concrete legislative measures that will prevent similar incidents, especially those involving the youth.

The statement followed the filing of House Resolution No. 968 seeking an investigation into the clash between government troops and members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto C. Torres Jr. welcomed the move but stressed that its value lies in outcomes, not rhetoric.

“Legislative inquiries, when conducted in good faith, are an important part of democratic governance,” Torres said, adding that lawmakers’ efforts to “establish facts, clarify circumstances, and determine whether policy or measures are needed are important exercises of oversight.”

He emphasized that any inquiry must be “anchored on evidence, objectivity, and the commitment to truth.”

Torres reiterated that the Toboso incident was “an armed encounter between government forces and the New People’s Army’s North Negros Front,” triggered by civilian information and confirmed by intelligence reports, including the recovery of weapons and the presence of an armed formation.

“These are the conditions of an active conflict environment,” he said, pointing out that even the Communist Party of the Philippines admitted that a “tactical defeat” occurred.

“You cannot claim a ‘tactical defeat’ and, in the same breath, insist that those involved were merely unarmed civilians,” Torres added, warning that such contradictions “risk distorting the facts surrounding what was clearly a combat situation.”

He also cautioned against misframing the inquiry. “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,” he said.

At the same time, Torres underscored that accountability systems are already embedded in state operations.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines operates under established rules of engagement, international humanitarian law, and a chain of command subject to civilian authority,” he said, describing these as “structured mechanisms designed to uphold discipline, legality, and the protection of civilians.”

For Torres, however, the central issue is prevention.

“If the objective of the inquiry is to prevent similar incidents in the future, then the discussion must go beyond the encounter itself,” he said, stressing the need to confront how armed groups are able to “recruit individuals, including children, the youth and even outside the country.”

“Addressing these conditions requires more than hearings. It requires sustained governance, development, and community engagement,” he added.

He also warned against politicizing the process. “The loss of life in Toboso is a serious matter. It should not be reduced to competing soundbites or used to advance positions that disregard the realities on the ground,” Torres said.

Ultimately, he stressed, the inquiry must be judged by its impact: “In the end, the measure of any inquiry is not how many narratives are presented, but whether it leads to better protection for communities, greater accountability, and a clearer path toward lasting peace.”