The Philippine Army on Thursday said one of the 19 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed in a series of encounters with government troops in Toboso, Negros Occidental last Sunday was a student of the University of the Philippines (UP).
Citing investigation results and testimonies from rebel returnees, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala identified the fatality as Alyssa Alano, whom he said was a member of the NPA’s Negros North Front.
“One of the fatalities was from UP, Alyssa… We identified her as a member of the Negros North Front,” Dema-ala said.
The UP Diliman Student Council earlier said Alano was its Education and Research councilor and had been in the area to hold dialogues with farmers on issues such as land-grabbing, alleged abuses, and militarization. The council described her as an “innocent civilian” and alleged that soldiers indiscriminately fired their weapons during the encounter.
Dema-ala rejected the claim, saying troops followed rules of engagement and adhered to human rights and international humanitarian law.
“If they are saying she is merely a student, why was she at the encounter site? Why was she carrying a firearm, and why did she engage our soldiers?” he said.
The Army said the operation, conducted by the 79th Infantry Battalion, was launched following reports from residents about the presence of NPA rebels in the area.
Also killed in the clashes was Roger Fabillar, also known as Jhong or Arnel Tapang, identified as the head of the NPA’s Special Partisan Unit under the Northern Negros Front.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also questioned Alano’s presence at the encounter site.
“Why was she with the NPAs? If she is not a combatant, that’s obstruction of justice or aiding and abetting rebellion,” Teodoro said.
Asked whether Alano was indeed an NPA member, Teodoro said her presence during the encounter raised serious concerns.
“Whether or not she’s an NPA, you shouldn’t be there when you know they are armed,” he said.
Separately, Teodoro urged a university to discipline a student who confronted a Philippine Air Force (PAF) officer during a static exhibit at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) earlier this week.
“What kind of behavior is that? I will not tolerate that, regardless of what they say. That student should be disciplined by the school,” he said, without naming the university.
Teodoro added that failure to act could create the impression that the institution tolerates “twisted ideology.”
Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the exhibit was conducted in coordination with university officials as part of the PAF’s pre-anniversary activities, coinciding with UST’s 415th anniversary.
She described the exhibit as a “non-coercive platform for education” aimed at raising awareness of the PAF’s mandate, capabilities, and service opportunities.
“While we regret the verbal confrontation initiated by certain individuals, we remain committed to professional and civil discourse in all academic settings,” Basco said.
She added that the PAF will continue working with partner institutions to ensure public engagements promote mutual understanding and respect for its role in national security.