NABANGANI Fact-Finding Mission Corrects Misinformation on Abra de Ilog Encounter

The NABANGANI Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission has presented a synthesis of its on-the-ground findings during their media forum on February 3, 2026 at the Max’s Restaurant, Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City. They addressed claims that circulated on social media following the January 1, 2026 armed encounter between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Cabacao, Abra de Ilog.

The mission, composed of peace advocates, former rebels, and civil society representatives, conducted fieldwork in several sitios, interviewing residents, barangay officials, and health workers, and undertaking an ocular inspection of the encounter site.

Claims of “Overkill” and Civilian Harm

Advocacy statements and online campaigns characterized the January 1 operation as “overkill,” alleging indiscriminate bombings that endangered civilians. Residents interviewed by the mission confirmed hearing intense gunfire and explosions and described fear and trauma, particularly among children.

However, interviewees consistently stated that the firefight occurred at a considerable distance from residential areas and pasture lands, away from houses. According to residents and sitio leaders, no civilians in their communities were killed or physically injured during the encounter. The mission’s ocular inspection further indicated that the armed encounter took place in the vicinity of an NPA encampment, not within civilian settlements.

“Cabacao Massacre” Allegations

Statements attributed to the National Democratic Front (NDF) and allied advocacy pages claimed that three Mangyan-Iraya children were killed and their mother seriously wounded, branding the incident as a “Cabacao Massacre.”

The NABANGANI Mission found no evidence to support these claims. Four barangay health workers and multiple sitio leaders independently reported that no children were killed and no mothers were wounded as a result of the encounter. All children in the affected sitios were reported to be accounted for. Two barangay health workers presented headcount and survey records conducted weeks before and approximately one week after January 1, which showed no such fatalities in their communities.

Chantal Anicoche Case

Questions were also raised by advocacy groups regarding the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ account of “rescuing” Chantal Anicoche near the encounter site, with allegations that the recovery was staged and that she may have been subjected to enforced disappearance.

The mission noted the public controversy surrounding Anicoche’s case and confirmed that she later surfaced alive after being in military custody. However, NABANGANI clarified that its fieldwork in Cabacao did not yield direct evidence that could either substantiate or disprove claims of a staged recovery or enforced disappearance. The mission emphasized that these allegations largely fall outside the geographic and temporal scope of its on-the-ground investigation.

Status of Stephanie Borinaga

Another claim circulating online asserted that Stephanie Borinaga was a civilian volunteer staying in a house “at the foot of the mountain” during the alleged bombings.

Based on interviews and site inspection, the mission found no civilian houses near the encounter site that could have hosted her. NABANGANI reported that Borinaga’s description of tremors and the intensity of the fighting was consistent with being inside or in close proximity to the NPA encampment, rather than within a civilian community.