• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Residents of Barangay Salamanca in Toboso town have denounced the atrocities allegedly perpetrated by remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) following a series of armed encounters with government troops last month in northern Negros.
Led by Barangay Chairman Romeo Sultan, residents staged a peace rally in the village on May 14, calling for lasting peace and justice in their community, according to a statement issued by the Philippine Army.
The rally came weeks after the April 19 encounters between Army soldiers and suspected NPA rebels in Barangay Salamanca, which resulted in the deaths of 19 alleged rebels and the recovery of 24 high-powered firearms.
Residents also rejected the presence of groups claiming to be “human rights advocates” who allegedly conducted fact-finding missions in the area without coordinating with local officials and authorities.
The peace rally served as a collective stand against armed violence and highlighted the impact of insurgency on civilians living in remote communities on Negros Island.
According to the 79th Infantry Battalion, residents shared concerns over trauma, disrupted livelihoods, and continuing fear brought about by the armed conflict. They also appealed for unity, security, and sustained development programs in their barangay.
Among those killed in the encounter was rebel leader Roger “Tapang” Fabillar, identified as the chief of the special operations group of the dismantled Northern Negros Front.
Military reports linked Tapang to the killings of at least 36 civilians in northern Negros from 2025 up to April this year. Authorities had offered a P2 million bounty for his arrest.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government, in coordination with the Philippine Army, conducted stress debriefing and psychological first aid activities in villages in Toboso affected by the armed encounters.
The initiative forms part of the government’s whole-of-nation approach, recognizing that communities affected by armed conflict require not only security interventions but also emotional and psychological support.*
