The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday condemned the New People's Army's (NPA) claimed killing of a civilian in Calatrava, Negros Occidental, describing the incident as another example of the group's alleged practice of "spy-tagging."

In a statement, the task force said the NPA's claim of responsibility was "more than a mere claim of responsibility" but "a chilling confession" that demonstrates how the group allegedly assumes the power to investigate, prosecute, judge and execute individuals outside the rule of law.

The victim was identified as Momarlito Alingasa, whom the NPA allegedly accused of being a police and military intelligence asset before claiming responsibility for his death.

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. said the case highlights what he described as the deadly practice of labeling civilians as government informants before targeting them.

"The incident once again highlights the deadly practice of spy-tagging—the branding of individuals as government informants, intelligence assets, or military collaborators and subsequently targeting them for execution," Torres said.

According to the task force, documented monitoring of NPA-initiated killings from 2021 to May 2026 recorded 59 alleged spy-tagging-related deaths nationwide, with 51 occurring in the Negros Island Region, including 41 in Negros Occidental and 10 in Negros Oriental.

From January 2025 to May 2026 alone, the task force said 49 victims were recorded in Negros, making the island the area with the highest number of such incidents.

"These figures reveal a disturbing and persistent pattern in which mere allegations become death sentences carried out without due process, evidence, or judicial scrutiny," Torres said.

He added that the NPA's alleged reliance on the label "intelligence asset" to justify killings contradicts its long-standing criticism of so-called "red-tagging."

"For years, the CTG and its legal front organizations have denounced what they call 'red-tagging.' Yet here they are, engaging in the most dangerous and lethal form of labeling imaginable. They do not merely tag. They kill," Torres said.

The task force said the case underscores the continuing challenge posed by communist insurgency and called for greater attention to the protection of civilians and adherence to the rule of law.