By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Amid concerns questioning the legitimacy of a recent military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, Malacañang said that it will support a probe that will unmask the truth in the series of clashes between government troops and alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members.
In a briefing on Monday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed media queries on this matter by reassuring them of impartiality and adherence to due process in the quest towards accountability.
Earlier, the Philippine Army (PA) said that it would cooperate with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as it launches an independent probe into the Toboso clash.
Army Spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said in a statement, “We call for a fair, thorough, and impartial investigation into the reported deaths of civilians in Negros Occidental, including those allegedly involving the group of the late Roger Fabillar, also known as ‘Jhong,’ to ensure that all facts are established and accountability is upheld.”
Col. Louie Dema-ala likewise refuted claims of leftist groups by stating that those who died in the encounter are armed members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/NPA.
The fatal shootout between alleged rebels and the soldiers that took place in Toboso town was a 12-hour exchange of bullets on April 19 that yielded 19 casualties and displaced over 600 residents in adjacent barangays.
Apart from U.S. citizens Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, two media figures were also killed in the attacks—student leader Alyssa Alano and community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma.
Meanwhile, when asked about President Marcos Jr.’s directive during last week’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Committee on the government’s fight against communist insurgency, Usec. Castro said the President’s order is to continue fighting the terrorists and communists.
She concluded, “Dapat labanan ang terorismo, dapat labanan ang komunismo. Iyong mga maaaring nanggugulo sa ating bayan. So, iyon lamang, basta dapat legal ang ginagawa.”
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