Phl army says death toll in Negros clash may rise

ILOILO CITY — The Philippine Army has not ruled out a possible increase in the number of fatalities following a series of encounters with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members in Negros Occidental, as troops continue clearing and retrieval operations in the area.

Capt. Jessie Jun Ebalan, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division, said the military is still conducting hot pursuit operations in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, where multiple clashes erupted on 19 April.

Ebalan said authorities have yet to complete the retrieval of bodies from the encounter sites, raising the possibility that additional fatalities may be confirmed.

Among those already identified is a senior figure allegedly linked to the rebel group, identified by the military as Roger Fabillar, also known by several aliases. He was reportedly facing multiple criminal charges and was included in the government’s wanted list with a P1-million bounty.

The military said families of some of the fatalities have begun coordinating with authorities, while identification efforts continue with assistance from forensic teams and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Initial reports put the death toll at 19, most of them identified as members of the dismantled Northern Negros Front under the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros.

According to the Army, the fighting consisted of at least eight separate encounters that took place from early morning to mid-afternoon on the same day.

Authorities have declared the area secure, enabling displaced residents to return to their homes.

One government soldier was wounded in the clashes but is now in stable condition.

Despite the result, the Army said it does not take satisfaction in the loss of lives, emphasizing that those killed were also Filipinos, and renewed its appeal for remaining insurgents to surrender and reintegrate into society.