BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Human rights group Karapatan Central Visayas called for an independent investigation into a May 16 military operation in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, that killed five people identified as New People’s Army (NPA) fighters.
The fatalities were identified as Vince Francis Dingding, Jobert Casipong, Gilbert Tingson, Rolando Dantes and Alex Chavez Languita. The military said they were killed in four encounters with troops of the 15th Infantry Battalion in Barangays Abaca and Poblacion.
Army officials said soldiers launched the operation after residents reportedly told of alleged presence of rebels in the area. Brig. Gen. Jason Jumawan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said troops were fired upon when they arrived. The military also accused the five of involvement in civilian killings in Negros since 2025 but did not immediately present detailed evidence.
Karapatan Central Visayas rejected what it described as the military’s attempt to present its version of events as fact, citing a history of alleged abuses, red-tagging and disputed accounts in counterinsurgency operations. The group said Dingding, a University of the Philippines Cebu alumnus and former student leader, was known for campaigns on student rights, workers’ welfare and marginalized communities.
Walden Bello, a retired University of the Philippines Diliman professor and former member of the House of Representatives, also raised concern over the Cauayan operation, saying it came “just a few weeks after the brutal killings of 19 individuals in Negros.” Bello said the latest operation displaced 64 families and warned that “too many lives have been claimed by this war,” including civilians and “bright, idealistic youths who simply want to fight for a better future.”
The Communist Party of the Philippines later confirmed the five were members of the NPA and said it was investigating possible violations of international humanitarian law, including whether any of the victims were hors de combat, or no longer able to fight. The CPP also issued a statement honoring the five as “Red fighters.”
Karapatan Central Visayas added that the Cauayan deaths should be examined in the context of militarization in Negros, including the April 19 Toboso operation that killed 19 people. A national fact-finding mission on May 14th found that six of those killed were unarmed civilian journalists, peasant advocates, and organizers—contradicting military claims that all casualties were combatants.
The Philippine Army has denounced the fact finding mission as “propaganda meant to cover up the alleged losses of the New People’s Army”. Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala accused groups such as Kabataan Party-list and Anakbayan of “radicalizing youth and leading them into armed struggle”, implying that such groups had responsibility in the deaths in Toboso and Cauayan.
Bello urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “assert civilian control of the military” and pursue peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA, saying attempts to end the insurgency through bloodshed are “doomed to failure.” He said peace talks would not be easy but should be pursued to avoid “an endless cycle of violence.”
Karapatan Central Visayas urged human rights groups, civil society organizations and independent fact-finding bodies to examine the Cauayan operation and determine whether human rights or international humanitarian law violations occurred.
Paghimutad 