The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has pointed to the death of an alleged communist rebel in Negros Occidental as a painful example of how armed insurgency leaves lasting wounds not only on individuals but also on the families left behind.
In a statement, the task force expressed grief over the case of Vince Francis Dingding, describing it as a story of a young man allegedly drawn away from his family and eventually into the underground movement linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
According to NTF-ELCAC, Dingding’s parents, Romulo and Rica Dingding, submitted a handwritten letter dated May 18 requesting that all matters concerning their son’s death be coordinated through their barangay captain to spare the family from further emotional distress.
The letter also revealed that Dingding’s mother is currently battling colon cancer and had been advised to avoid stress during her recovery.
The task force highlighted a postscript in the letter that read: “We decided that we will no longer claim his remains in Negros Occ.”
NTF-ELCAC said the statement reflected the deep emotional pain endured by families affected by armed conflict and ideological divisions.
The group argued that the effects of insurgency extend beyond armed encounters, leaving emotional trauma, broken family relationships, and prolonged suffering among relatives of those involved in the movement.
According to the task force, Dingding had reportedly served as a student leader at University of the Philippines Cebu from 2014 to 2015 and was allegedly involved in various activist campaigns before later joining Kabataan Cebu.
Authorities claimed he eventually entered the armed underground movement in 2017 and later operated in different guerrilla fronts in Negros for several years.
NTF-ELCAC said the case reflected what it described as a recurring pattern in which activists linked to alleged communist front organizations later become part of armed rebel structures, resulting in strained ties with their families and communities.
The task force maintained that no political ideology or revolutionary movement is worth the emotional suffering experienced by parents and families who lose loved ones to armed conflict.