An ecumenical group called for the resumption of peace talks and an independent investigation following the killing of 19 people in Negros Occidental, as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said only 10 of those killed were New People’s Army (NPA) fighters and the rest were civilians.
In a statement, the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), a coalition of Christian groups, described the April 19 incident in Salamanca village, Toboso town, as a “wake-up call” and urged both the government and communist rebels to pursue a negotiated peace.
“Peace cannot prosper if it is not rooted in truth and justice,” the group said.
Among those killed were individuals identified by the group as civilians and advocates, including journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma, student leaders, and peasant organizers. It said many had gone to farming communities “to learn and to serve.”
PEPP said a majority of those killed were “non-combatants,” disputing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) claim that all those slain were members of the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP.
“The rest were, like RJ, Alyssa, Maureen, Wendell, and Lyle, either peasant advocates or ordinary villagers,” the statement said, adding that “even in death, they were red-tagged and vilified.”
The CPP identified 10 of those killed as NPA fighters, including a local commander, unit leaders, and cadres. It said the remaining nine were civilians, among them Ledesma, student leaders, community organizers, foreign nationals, and two minors.
CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said some of the civilians were “killed despite the fact they were unarmed or non-combatants.”
He also alleged that military drone footage showed one NPA commander “was summarily killed by the fascists, instead of being taken in as prisoner of war,” and urged “conscionable elements of the AFP” to disclose additional footage.
Valbuena said the NPA suffered what it described as a “tactical defeat” but paid tribute to its slain fighters.
“We honor the squad of 10 Red fighters of the NPA who fought the fascists to their last breath…Their deaths weigh heavily on our hearts,” he said. He added that the fighters “were deeply loved by the masses,” and said residents joined funeral processions to express “their high respects and deep gratitude.”
The AFP has maintained that all those killed were combatants.
As questions over the circumstances of the killings grew, the Commission on Human Rights said it would conduct an independent investigation to determine the status of the casualties and the circumstances of the encounter. “In case of doubt, persons shall be presumed civilians,” the commission said.
In a separate reflection, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos called for restraint and a deeper search for truth, warning against reducing victims to labels amid competing narratives.
“Every human life is sacred,” the bishop said. “No label—whether ‘combatant,’ ‘suspect,’ or ‘collateral’—can erase the fundamental dignity of a person.”
He stressed that accountability must go beyond legality. “If even one life was unjustly taken, it is not a minor error—it is a wound to the moral fabric of our society,” he said.
Alminaza also underscored the need for an independent inquiry. “Without truth, there can be no justice. Without justice, there can be no peace.”
PEPP said the killings raise concerns under international humanitarian law (IHL), which requires parties in armed conflict to protect civilians and avoid engaging in combat in their presence.
“One basic principle is to accord due respect and treatment for civilians,” the statement said.
It added that even combatants are entitled to protection under IHL if they are no longer able to fight. “If they have lost the capacity to fight, are wounded or surrendered, they should be treated as humanely as possible,” the group said.
PEPP urged the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which represents the CPP in peace negotiations, to resume formal talks and address the root causes of the armed conflict.
“Principled negotiations, not the surrender of one party to the other, is what makes for genuine peace,” the group said.
It also called on both parties to uphold the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL) and ensure accountability for violations.
“We lend our voices to the urgent call for an independent and impartial investigation into the deaths of the Negros 19,” the statement said.
Peace negotiations between the government and communist rebels have remained stalled since 2017, when former president Rodrigo Duterte formally terminated talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
The collapse followed rising violence and disagreements over ceasefire conditions, leading to the cancellation of formal negotiations and leaving key political and security issues unresolved.
PEPP said the incident underscores the continuing human cost of the armed conflict, warning that “the en masse killings in Toboso is a wake-up call for all of us” and that the violence “has taken out humanity in some of those involved in it.”
