The Philippines’ upcoming leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is being put to the test as regional lawmakers call for an independent investigation into the killing of 19 individuals in a military operation in Negros Occidental.
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) framed its appeal around responsibility, saying the country, as the incoming ASEAN chair, should “lead by example” by “protecting those who speak truth to power” rather than silencing dissent.
“As the 2026 ASEAN Chair, the Philippines must lead by example—not by silencing those who speak truth to power but by protecting them,” part of the statement read.
The group, composed of current and former legislators across Southeast Asia, has long pushed for coordinated responses to human rights issues, working alongside civil society and conducting fact-finding missions in the region.
Its statement came after the April 19 incident in Toboso, Negros Occidental, where the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) reported a “fierce encounter” with alleged communist rebels.
Nineteen individuals were killed, including community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma, University of the Philippines students Alyssa Alano and Maureen Keil Santuyo, researcher Errol Wendel Chen, Filipino-American advocates Kai Dana-Rene Sorem and Lyle Prijoles, a local resident, and two minors.
APHR chairperson Mercy Chriesty Barends pointed to the reported deaths of “nine civilians,” including “a journalist” and “two minors,” describing the operation as one that “failed to distinguish” between combatants and civilians.
She called it an “indiscriminate attack” and said the AFP “must be held accountable.”
Citing international humanitarian law (IHL), the group stressed that the “willful killing of civilians” constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions. It urged “independent investigations” without military involvement, the “halt” of operations that put civilians at risk, and “protection and assistance” for displaced families.
The AFP has stood by its account, maintaining that those killed were members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and were armed, with two dozen firearms reportedly recovered.
AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. reiterated that the fatalities were “rebels,” despite reports indicating some may have been civilians.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has opened its own inquiry, noting the displacement of more than a hundred families. It emphasized that “in case of doubt,” individuals should be “presumed civilians.”
APHR also flagged what it described as a “pattern of state-enabled repression,” criticizing the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 as being “weaponized” against critics.
It warned that red-tagging—labeling individuals as communist sympathizers—serves as a “precursor to violence,” adding that the “blanket labeling” of the victims as rebels reflects this pattern.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.