The Philippine Army (PA) said on Monday, April 27, that it is open to any investigation into its deadly encounter with the New People's Army (NPA) in Toboso, Negros Occidental last week where 19 individuals were killed.

PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala brushed off claims that some of the fatalities during the April 19 clash involving troops of the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion and members of the Northern Negros Front were civilians, maintaining that all those who died during the clash were "armed NPA members."

“We are open to all investigations. The evidence is there,” Dema-ala said, citing documentation gathered by police forensic teams and testimonies from soldiers on the ground.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said it has initiated an investigation into the encounter which took place in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, before dawn on April 19.

“The security operation we conducted was due to reports from civilians in the barangay who were threatened by this armed group. While our soldiers were on their way to validate the information, they were fired upon,” Dema-ala said.

The Army insisted it followed rules of engagement and international humanitarian law during the encounter.

“We are confident we can dispute the allegations because this has happened many times before. We acted according to international humanitarian law. We followed the rules of engagement and we respect human rights,” Dema-ala said.

The military said 19 people were killed including the target of the operation, Roger Fabillar, an alleged notorious NPA leader who was the subject of a warrant of arrest; Alyssa Alano, RJ Ledesma, and two United States citizens named Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem among others.

“That NPA leader [Fabillar] had a standing warrant of arrest. That was the purpose of the troops, to arrest him. But while approaching, the encounter happened,” Dema-ala stated.

However, rights and progressive groups Karapatan and Anakbayan-USA said Alano, Ledesma, Prijoles, and Sorem were a community journalist, a University of the Philippines student, and activists who were only in the area to conduct research and determine the plight of farmers facing land-grabbing issues.

“We categorically deny those allegations because based on the documents we obtained and the firearms and the firsthand testimonies of the soldiers, the 19 who died were indeed members of the CPP [Communit Party of the Philippines]-NPA who were armed, with ammunition and bandoliers, and who engaged our soldiers. It can be clearly seen in the results of the PNP SOCO processing and documentation of the encounter site,” Dema-ala said.

The military said 24 high-powered firearms were recovered after the encounter, including M16 and M14 rifles, improvised explosive devices, and various ammunition.

Meanwhile, Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc., a federation of former members of the CPP-NPA that aims to promote peace and assist fellow former rebels in their reintegration into society, said it conducted a fact-finding mission in Barangay Salamanca after the incident.

Its president, Noel Legaspi, said findings would be submitted to the Commission on Human Rights and local authorities to help in their investigation.

“The April 19 encounter itself speaks to the condition of the local community in Toboso. Those from Metro Manila have little understanding of the situation. We call on communities to remain vigilant, reject the normalization of violence, and stand firm in protecting innocent lives,” said Legaspi, who left the movement in 2018 after 26 years of being with the CPP-NPA as spokesperson of the National Democratic Front-Far South Mindanao.

In their fact-finding mission, the group said they were able to talk to residents and local officials, who were caught off-guard by the gunfight.

“We were surprised. Around 3 a.m. there was already gunfire. It ended around 1:30 p.m. We did not expect this because our place is very peaceful,” said Barangay Salamanca Kagawad Facundo Marikit in a virtual press conference.

Toboso public information officer Albertito Morados said the municipal government is verifying claims that one of those killed was conducting research.

“Our understanding is that no student went to the barangay or municipality for a courtesy call to inform us of any research. There should be a letter from the university and coordination with the local government,” Morados said.

He added that the town’s peace and order council moved to declare the CPP-NPA persona non grata following the incident.

Meanwhile, families have claimed the remains of all 19 fatalities, including the two Americans, according to the Army.

Dema-ala said one soldier was wounded in the clash but is now in stable condition.