Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro dismissed the possibility of resuming dialogue with members of the New People’s Army (NPA) for peace talks.
Teodoro's Stance on Peace Talks
“What we can really do is suppress the armed group. But over and above that, our soldiers are accepting returning rebels with the help of local government,” Teodoro said during a meeting with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and 6th District Representative Mercedes Alvarez at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Saturday, May 23.
Rejection of Allegations
Teodoro strongly rejected accusations of irregularities in military operations in Toboso and Cauayan that resulted in the deaths of members of the armed communist group. He issued a warning against narratives seeking to lend credibility to calls for peace talks with the communist terrorist group.
“They are using the tragic death of these 19 as a propaganda tool for them to gain relevance, power, and maybe they seek the status of legitimacy,” he said.
“I'm sorry, it's not going to fly,” he added.
Human Rights Advocates' Response
Human rights advocates marked the Toboso incident as a massacre rather than an armed encounter. Among those killed were University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman University Student Council (USC) Councilor Alyssa Alano, and two US citizens: Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.
