NTF-ELCAC: No massacre in Toboso
Initial findings by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun 'deserve to be received with respect, but also with sobriety, context, and patience,' says anti-insurgency task force chief
Published May 9, 2026 12:02 pm
At A Glance
- The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC defended the military's actions in the April 19 Toboso, Negros Occidental encounter, rejecting claims that it was a massacre and urging the public to wait for full forensic and official investigations.
- NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres Jr. said the preliminary findings of forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun should be treated with caution until all evidence—including autopsies, ballistic tests, witness accounts, and crime-scene analysis—is completed.
- Fortun had earlier raised concerns about the handling of the 19 fatalities, citing decomposition of bodies, possible mishandling of evidence, discarded clothing, and a reported body misidentification involving one victim, Errol Wendel.
- Torres argued that these issues do not prove a massacre and said the dangerous conditions at the encounter site—including possible IEDs and armed stragglers—complicated recovery operations.
- He also said the reported body mix-up appeared to result from the identification process by relatives rather than intentional misconduct.
Philippine Army (PA) personnel carry a casket bearing the remains of one of the 19 individuals slain during an encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental during an encounter with the New People's Army (NPA) on April 19, 2026. (Photo: 3rd Infantry Division)
The government’s anti-insurgency task force on Friday, May 8, pushed back against claims that the April 19 encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental was a massacre, urging the public to wait for the full forensic and official investigation before making conclusions.
In a statement, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. said the preliminary observations made by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun “deserve to be received with respect, but also with sobriety, context, and patience.”
“As a forensic expert, Dr. Fortun herself knows the rigor required before any responsible conclusion can be made in a mass-casualty incident: crime-scene processing, cadaver recovery, preservation, identification, autopsy, ballistic examination, chain-of-custody review, witness accounts, operational records, and medico-legal correlation,” he said.
“These are not matters settled by partial findings on five bodies alone,” the retired Army general added.
Earlier, Fortun raised concerns over the military’s handling of bodies and evidence linked to the Toboso incident.
During a May 7 press conference at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Fortun presented initial findings from autopsies on five of the 19 fatalities and said the bodies were already badly decomposed when examined.
She cited several issues including alleged lack of proper crime scene investigation, misidentification of cadavers, and removal and discarding of victims’ clothing, which she said were important forensic evidence.
Further, she revealed that the family of one of the deceased, Errol Wendel, allegedly received the wrong body.
Addressing the issues, Torres said questions involving body condition, wounds, and identification “do not automatically negate the existence of a legitimate encounter.”
“Her own reported findings do not establish a massacre. At most, they raise questions that must be answered through the official comprehensive report, which is expected to be released in due time,” Torres said.
Addressing allegations of evidence mishandling, the NTF-ELCAC head noted that the recovery operation occurred in a “hazardous area” with the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), booby traps, and armed stragglers.
The volatility of the site was highlighted when an independent fact-finding group later recovered an additional firearm and Torres said this “only underscores how dangerous and unsettled the area remained after the firefights.”
Meanwhile, on the reported body mix-up, Torres said it “should not be weaponized as proof of bad faith.”
“Based on available accounts, it stemmed from the identification and claiming process by relatives, not from any established intent to conceal evidence,” he said.
The incident has also triggered scrutiny after authorities confirmed that two American nationals and two minors were among those killed. The NTF-ELCAC earlier said the deaths reflected the NPA’s continued recruitment of youth and foreign nationals.
A House resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the incident has been filed and the NTF-ELCAC said it would welcome any investigation “anchored on evidence, objectivity, and the commitment to truth.”
“The full scientific and official findings should be awaited. When released, they will allow the public to judge the facts—not speculation, not propaganda, and not premature conclusions,” Torres said.