The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday expressed grief over the death of a former University of the Philippines Cebu student leader who was among five suspected communist rebels killed in a recent clash in Negros Occidental.

The military identified the fatality as Francis Vince Dingding, a resident of Barangay Capitol Site in Cebu City.

The fatal encounter occurred Saturday in Barangay Abaca, Cauayan, as military forces continue operations against the remaining New People’s Army (NPA) groups operating in southern Negros.

According to reports from the Philippine Army and the 302nd Infantry Brigade, Dingding was a former political instructor for the Southeast Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros.

In a statement sent to DAILY TRIBUNE, the anti-communist task force described Dingding’s death as a painful reminder of what it called a “terror-grooming pipeline” by the Communist Party of the Philippines, the NPA and the National Democratic Front.

The agency said the process preys on young Filipinos, drawing them from legal advocacy spaces into underground armed struggle.

“Beyond operational reports, however, is a far more painful truth: another young Filipino life has been lost; another family is grieving; another future has been cut short,” the task force statement read.

Publicly available records show Dingding was once active in student leadership circles at UP Cebu and reportedly had ties to individuals previously linked to NPA activities in Negros.

The task force stressed that no Filipino death should be celebrated as a victory, calling on families, schools, and communities to work together to recognize early warning signs of recruitment.

Meanwhile, the military’s Visayas Command coordinated with Capitol Site barangay chairperson Kelly Quijada to verify Dingding’s identity.

Quijada confirmed Dingding’s residency and cited that he personally knew the family because Dingding’s mother is a former barangay employee.

He told military officials that the family is facing severe financial difficulties because the mother is undergoing cancer treatment. The financial strain has prevented the family from traveling to Negros to claim Dingding’s remains, as their limited resources are entirely dedicated to her medical care.

“Vince Francis Dingding must not become just another casualty statistic,” the task force said. “His story should stand as a painful national reminder: every wasted youth is a loss to the Filipino people.”