The Philippine Army said it respects the opinion of a priest and student leaders on the death of 19 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) during an encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental.

But Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, Commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said they may be “out of touch.”

“I respect their opinion. They are out of touch of reality. These people speaking from Manila, Cebu… you come here, investigate what’s happening. They (alleged rebels) are the ones committing human rights violations,” he said.

In a pastoral statement, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said “we cannot accept this as normal. We cannot allow ourselves to grow indifferent to the taking of human life.”

“This painful incident reveals something deeper about our shared reality. Violence does not arise in a vacuum. It takes root where wounds have long been left unattended – where poverty persists, where injustice is endured, where trust between people and institutions has been broken, and where hope in peaceful change has slowly faded,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Student Regent of the University of the Philippines has condemned the so-called continued militarization in Negros Island. It called on government forces to comply with international human rights law.

At least eight encounters reportedly took place within an hour on April 19, 2026. The exchange of fire reportedly started around 4 p.m. and lasted until dawn the following day.

Among those killed were Roger Fabillar alias ‘Jhong’ and Arnel Tapang who authorities said have killed many and allegedly led the NPA in extortion activities.

Fabillar has been wanted for several years and reportedly had a P1 million bounty for his capture.

Dumosmog said one of those killed who is believed to have been a foreign national will be subjected to DNA testing.

“There was a foreign looking national. As I have said, maraming mestizo dito, maraming gwapo at gwapa dito. Ipa-DNA test natin ito,” Dumosmog said.

As of this writing, authorities have identified only five of those killed.

“We are looking for the identity ng lahat doon na involved, especially ang itinuturo nilang main man, si Tapag. May mga previous case tayong na-file, nakapangalan sa Arnel Tapang na ito,” said Capt. Judesses Catalogo, spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.

The NPA has not issued a statement, as of this writing.

Residents of Barangay Salamanca who had to flee at the height of the encounters have started returning to their homes.