IT’S been three weeks since 19 suspected rebels were killed in a series of clashes in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental. The war of the narrative continues to rage: It’s massacre versus legitimate military operation. As for the 19 killed — were some of them unarmed activists, or were they all members of the communist terrorist group?
The Communist Party of the Philippines on April 27 confirmed that 10 of the 19 casualties were “Red fighters” while the rest were “unarmed and non-combatant” individuals of various backgrounds and affiliations. The military’s version is that the troops, acting on information from the area, launched a military operation against enemy forces. Eight separate encounters took place over a span of 12 hours.
If an investigation by truly objective and competent individuals or agencies can be done to piece together and independently verify or establish what happened in Salamanca on April 19, it could help us move forward.
A congressional inquiry, on the other hand, could provide a venue to know more about the individuals who were killed. We do need to know why the civilians or “non-combatants” were there, in that precise location, at that time. While concern for the plight of the rural masses needs no further explanation, much less justification, considering the outcome of the “immersion,” the public is entitled to know who coordinated or arranged the visit and why the barangay officials weren’t informed. Of course, the barangay government may be seen as an integral part of the structures that perpetuate poverty and injustice, but it is still considered the norm in community work to inform the barangay, especially in insurgency-affected communities such as Toboso.
Was it a pure coincidence that the rebels and the chairperson of League of Filipino Students-University of the Philippines chapter, a former Kabataan party-list nominee, organizers from Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura and National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth, and two members of Anakbayan USA, just happened to be in the same barangay at the same time?
A public inquiry could also shed light on the connection between the five persons arrested on April 22 and the events in Toboso. Glemmar Bacusmo, initially declared among the killed, is reportedly a top leader of the CPP-NPA in Negros. He has numerous standing warrants of arrest, including for his alleged participation in the 2017 ambush of Guihulngan City police chief Arnel Arpon. Six policemen, including Arpon, and one civilian were killed in this unprovoked attack. Twenty years ago, Bacusmo was a local leader of Anakpawis and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Cebu.
As the battle of narratives continues, it is worth noting that the official website of the CPP-NPA-NDF Negros hasn’t been updated since April 18. The website is a good source of information about the CPP, NPA and affiliated underground organizations in Negros. There were 14 posts in April.
It appears likely that whoever was the administrator of the website was among the April 19 fatalities. Uploading articles and statements, even PDF files, to a website doesn’t require journalistic or writing skills. The actual authors could be anybody or even one person hiding behind different noms de guerre, or several persons could be behind one pseudonym. However, being a website administrator requires access to a decent and stable internet connection, and at least a laptop or tablet. It is unlikely that the website administrator was based in a remote rural area. Incidentally, 15 statements attributed to various NPA Negros units and NDF Negros have been posted on the CPP-NPA-NDF’s main website since the Toboso encounter.
The CPP-NPA-NDF Negros website’s last post (April 18) is an issue of Ang Paghimakas, the Negros island regional party committee’s newsletter, celebrating the NPA on the occasion of its 57th anniversary. According to this report, the five NPA commands in Negros continue “to amass victories and overcoming obstacles.” Lost territory has been recovered, and the mass base increased. A total of 56 military actions were carried out; 16 firearms were seized. The CPP, in its NPA anniversary press release, praises these accomplishments. No other front, command or unit is mentioned. Is Negros the crown jewel? The neutralization of so many fighters and cadres is likely a major blow not only to the NPA in Negros but also to the entire revolutionary movement.
The NPA-Northern Negros wasn’t wiped out completely, though. Two statements attributed to the unit’s spokesperson, posted on the main CPP-NPA-NDF website on May 2, are “proof of life.” According to a former rebel, while the group that figured in the April 19 clashes constituted the main body of the NPA Northern Negros (Roselyn Jean Pelle Command), smaller units remain, in other areas. Will they consolidate? Will the party deploy party cadres from outside as it has done before? Kerima Tariman was sent to Negros from Luzon in 2018. She served as Northern Negros’ “leading party cadre” until her death three years later.
The NPA suffered a major military defeat in Toboso. While questions about the high number of casualties and the status of some of them linger, at least there will be a respite from the drug-war-style liquidations carried out by the NPA Northern Negros.
