BACOLOD CITY – The Toboso Municipal Police Station in Negros Occidental on Friday, May 29, marked the 40th day of the April 19 encounter by leading a healing Mass and blessing the site in Sitio Plarinding, Barangay Salamanca, where 19 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed.
Rev. Fr. Police Capt. Alexander Repaso of the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) officiated the Mass and performed the blessing at the site.
Police said the solemn rite was meant to honor those who perished, strengthen spiritual solidarity among residents, and promote peace, unity, and reconciliation within the community.
The encounter stemmed from intelligence reports on the presence of armed men linked to notorious NPA hitman Roger Fabillar Tapang, who was among those killed.
Tapang’s group had been tied to a series of killings targeting civilians, farmers, and barangay officials accused of being “military assets” in northern Negros, particularly Calatrava, Escalante City, and Toboso since 2023.
The incident has sparked debate over the identities of the fatalities, with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) claiming only 10 were combatants, while the military maintained that all were members of the revolutionary movement. (Glazyl Masculino)
