Metro Manila, Philippines – A lawmaker and independent groups have called for an investigation into the military operation in Negros Occidental that killed 19 people, including a University of the Philippines student leader and a community journalist.
Among those killed in the operation carried out by the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion in Toboso were UP Student Council President Alyssa Alano and community journalist RJ Ledesma.
ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima expressed concern over the high number of casualties and called for an urgent probe to seek “clarity and the truth” on what transpired.
“Beyond the question of whether the military operation was legitimate, there are serious allegations of violations that led to the deaths of 19 individuals, and we must investigate what truly transpired to find clarity and the truth,” the House Senior Deputy Minority Leader said in a statement on Saturday.
“While we support our military’s pursuit of peace and order in the country, we do not tolerate unnecessary violence or flagrant violations of human rights and humanitarian laws,” she added.
Human rights group Karapatan also condemned the clash, calling it a “massacre” and denouncing the military’s use of “excessive force” in its operations.
Peasant organizations Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Tanggol Magsasaka also criticized the incident, which claimed the lives of two other advocates identified as Maureen Keil Santuyo and Errol Wendel.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has since insisted the operation was a “legitimate military operation” and questioned why alleged civilians were present at the encounter site.
