Malacañang on Monday expressed support for a thorough investigation into a series of clashes between government troops and suspected New People’s Army members in Taboso, Negros Occidental, which left 19 people dead.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration would not block any probe by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to determine the truth behind the encounter.

The CHR has already launched an independent investigation following reports that three civilians and a University of the Philippines (UP) student were among the fatalities.

“According to the AFP, a legitimate military operation took place, and Gen. Brawner said they were armed,” Castro said during a Palace briefing, referring to Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.

Meantime, the UP Open University (UPOU) confirmed the deaths of Maureen Keil Santuyo, an Associate of Arts student at UPOU, and Alyssa Alano, a student at UP Diliman.

The university described Santuyo as a compassionate youth advocate dedicated to supporting marginalized agrarian communities.

In a statement, UPOU called for transparency and accountability if human rights violations are established and also urged the public to avoid “unverified accusations” and the labeling of academic community members without evidence.

The incident follows a recent meeting of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Executive Committee.

Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the task force to continue the fight against terrorism and communism while ensuring all operations remain within legal bounds.

During that meeting, the committee endorsed several policy directions, including a proposed extension of the government’s amnesty program, the prioritization of critical anti-insurgency legislation and expanded development funding for local governance.