MANILA — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said it respects the proposed House inquiry into the April 19 clash in Toboso, Occidental Mindoro, while expressing hope that the investigation would help prevent the recruitment of minors and foreigners into insurgency activities.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. made the statement in response to House Resolution 968.

“The task force recognizes that legislative inquiries, when conducted in good faith, are an important part of democratic governance. Our legislators’ efforts to establish facts, clarify circumstances, and determine whether policy or measures are needed are important exercises of oversight. We therefore welcome any lawful process anchored on evidence, objectivity, and the commitment to truth,” Torres said.

Torres said the task force stands by the military’s account that the incident involved an armed encounter between government troops and the New People’s Army’s North Negros Front, which he said followed information from local communities.

“Reports indicate that the operation was triggered by civilian information, and subsequent intelligence confirmed the presence of an armed formation, the recovery of weapons, and the neutralization of individuals engaged in hostilities,” he said.

He added that these circumstances are consistent with an active armed conflict environment.

“Even the Communist Party of the Philippines itself admitted that a ‘tactical defeat’ occurred in an armed encounter. You cannot claim a “tactical defeat” and, in the same breath, insist that those involved were merely unarmed civilians. That contradiction raises serious questions and risks distorting the facts surrounding what was clearly a combat situation,” Torres said.

He also warned against what he described as mischaracterizing the incident, saying any inquiry must reflect what he called the “fundamental reality” of the situation.

“The pursuit of ‘balanced narratives’ should not lead to false equivalence between state forces operating under the Constitution and armed groups that function outside the rule of law,” he said.

Torres said accountability mechanisms are already in place within state security forces, noting that the Armed Forces of the Philippines operates under rules of engagement, international humanitarian law, and civilian oversight.

“These are not ad hoc systems, but structured mechanisms designed to uphold discipline, legality, and the protection of civilians,” he said.

He contrasted this with alleged actions of the New People’s Army, citing reported killings of civilians in Negros that were allegedly justified through “spy-tagging.”

He added that community reports have indicated at least 46 cases of summary killings in the island.

Torres said that if the House inquiry aims to prevent similar incidents, it must also address conditions that allow armed groups to operate within communities and recruit individuals, including children and even those from abroad, which he said contribute to violent encounters.