‘KUDA NANG KUDA AT NAGMAMAGALING’: National former rebel leader calls out natdem activist over claims on Toboso clash

TOBOSO, Negros Occidental — The debate surrounding the deadly April 19 encounter between government troops and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Salamanca has intensified, with a former rebel leader publicly challenging statements made by national democratic activist and former Bayan Muna lawmaker Teddy Casiño.

Authorities earlier confirmed that 19 individuals were killed in what the Philippine Army described as a prolonged running gun battle that began around 3:30 a.m. and lasted until about 2:00 p.m., spanning multiple sitios from Toboso to neighboring Escalante City.

The encounter also resulted in the displacement of hundreds of civilians, with more than 500 residents forced to evacuate to temporary shelters in nearby barangays. 

In the days following, reports surfaced that R.J. Nichole Ledesma, a former Kabataan Partylist nominee, and UP Diliman student council member Alyssa Alano were among the fatalities. At least one Filipino-American, identified as Lyle Prijoles, a former member of Anakbayan USA, was also reported among those killed. 

Doubt

In a statement posted online, Casiño cast doubt on the military’s account. “The AFP claims all 19 killed in Toboso were NPA combatants… They were civilians killed by government soldiers. The CHR and other human rights bodies should investigate.”

He also questioned the outcome of the encounter, noting the absence of reported military fatalities or injuries.

“19 rebels dead in a ‘running firefight’ that lasted ‘throughout the day.’ No survivors. No one captured alive. No surrenders. All of them dead… Meanwhile, not one fatality on the military side.”

However, authorities have arrested five individuals who have admitted affiliation with the New People’s Army (NPA) and are believed to be connected to the group involved in the April 19 encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental.

Arrested and currently in police custody are Glenmar Bacusmo, who identified himself as a squad leader of the Northern Negros Front, Danny Boy Pacheco, 25, from Himamaylan City; Judy Manayon Caramihan, 34, from San Carlos City; Julie Ann Balora, 26, from Murcia; and Jerome Seballos, 57, from Bacolod City. 

Legaspi’s Response

Noel Legaspi, president of the Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc. (BKFI), a group of former rebels advocating for peace, pushed back against Casiño’s remarks, accusing critics of making assumptions without firsthand knowledge of combat conditions.

Quoting military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, Legaspi, himself a former cadre of the CPP-NPA in Far Southern Mindanao, said, “Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. The difficulties accumulate and end by producing a kind of friction that is inconceivable unless one has experienced war.”

He criticized what he described as speculative commentary, in the vernacular “kuda nang kuda at nagmamagaling,” from individuals who, according to him, lack actual experience in armed conflict. “Maraming kuro-kuro at sapantaha… parang mga scriptwriter ng pelikula, hiwalay sa realidad,” Legaspi said.

He also dismissed specific claims circulating online, especially from national democratic groups, such as assertions that some casualties were merely bystanders or non-combatants. He said that these were not grounded in verified information and should not be used as propaganda.

Legaspi argued that conclusions about the incident should be based on accounts from those directly involved, including soldiers on the ground, captured NPA members, and civilian witnesses in affected communities.

“Walang ibang higit na nakaaalam sa totoong detalye kundi ang mga sundalong sangkot sa labanan, ang mga nakaligtas na NPA na nasa kustodiya, at ang mga mamamayang saksi sa aktwal na pangyayari,” he said.

Ongoing Ground Efforts

Buklod Kapayapaan is currently in Toboso, conducting a fact-finding and relief mission regarding the encounter and the evacuation of communities affected by the fighting.

Meanwhile, the majority of residents displaced by the fighting remain in evacuation centers as authorities work to secure the area and assess when it is safe for communities to return, while some have reportedly already gone back to their homes.

The incident in Toboso is the latest in a series of clashes in northern Negros, an area long considered a stronghold of NPA remnants, and continues to draw national attention amid competing narratives over what transpired on the ground.