• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Human Rights has strongly condemned the killings of an elderly woman and several other civilians allegedly perpetrated by the New People’s Army in Negros Occidental.
In a statement, the CHR said its regional office in Negros has launched motu propio investigations into these reported incidents, parallel to the efforts of the Philippine National Police.
The CHR condemned the killing of Leonara Anguit, 74, in Brgy. Tapi, Kabankalan City, on February 3, which were claimed by the NPA.
Three of the rebel suspects behind her death were reported by the Philippine Army to have been recently killed in an encounter with 47th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Brgy. Tampalon, Kabankalan City.
CHR records showed that the NPA were also allegedly involved in the reported killings of Efren Solinap, Jonhee Montoya, Jury Gani, Leonardo Nepalar, Joebert Alsado, and Elias Palay from March to June last year.
“We reiterate that no ideology can justify the taking of civilian lives. Such violence against an unarmed civilian constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental right to life”, the CHR said, stressing also that the perpetrators must be held accountable to the full extent of the law.
These successive killings pose a grave threat to the right to life, the right to security in one’s home, and endanger the peace and safety of communities in the region, it added.
The agency further stressed that even non-State actors are bound to respect international humanitarian law and human rights standards, including the obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants at all times.
The CHR also called on appropriate law enforcement agencies to undertake prompt and impartial investigations to ensure full accountability and deliver justice to the families of the victims.
CHR further underscored the importance of coordinated action among duty-bearers to prevent further escalation of violence in the region.
Leaders of Sentrong Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Bayan (Sambayanan) – Negros earlier filed a request with the CHR-NIR for an immediate and thorough investigation into alleged crimes against humanity, summary executions, and grave violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law perpetrated and claimed by the NPA.
Sambayanan-Negros recorded 26 civilians killed by rebel remnants in Negros Occidental in 2025 alone, with each incident reportedly justified through similar “spy-tagging” accusations.*
