The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict on Monday welcomed what it described as the “clear, courageous, and principled” statement of Eugenio Jose Lacson affirming the legitimacy of the 19 April encounter between government troops and alleged remnants of the New People’s Army in Toboso, Negros Occidental.

“The governor’s declaration carries profound weight because it comes from the highest elected official of Negros Occidental himself — a leader who knows the realities on the ground, understands the sentiments of genuine Negrenses, and has long witnessed the devastating impact of communist terrorism on the province,” the NTF-ELCAC said in a statement sent to DAILY TRIBUNE.

The task force added that Lacson’s remarks were “the strongest repudiation yet” of what it called propaganda and fabricated narratives allegedly spread by the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army, and National Democratic Front following the encounter in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso.

“When the governor himself states that the operation was legitimate, that it was community information that led authorities to the armed group, and that there is no need to question the Philippine Army’s conduct, it completely demolishes the falsehoods being spread to malign our security forces and romanticize armed rebellion,” the task force said.

The NTF-ELCAC also claimed that Lacson’s statement exposed what it described as the continued recruitment and radicalization of young people into armed struggle.

“For decades, the CPP-NPA-NDF exploited the youth, manipulated communities, and terrorized vulnerable areas in Negros under the false promise of ‘revolution.’ They robbed the province of peace, progress, investment, stability, and opportunity,” the task force said.

“Countless families suffered from fear, extortion, violence, and ideological deception. But the people of Negros have spoken. The governor himself acknowledged that the operation could not have succeeded without the cooperation of the community,” it added.

The task force also echoed Lacson’s appeal for remaining rebels to surrender and return to the fold of the law.

“We therefore echo Governor Lacson’s appeal to the remaining armed rebels: lay down your arms and return to the fold of the law while there is still time. The era of violence must end,” the statement read.