• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez has withdrawn his earlier call for a congressional inquiry into the Toboso encounter, saying that ongoing investigations by government agencies should be allowed to proceed without political interference.
In a statement on Sunday (May 10), Benitez said he filed a resolution seeking an inquiry in aid of legislation as a fact-finding measure, but decided not to pursue it further as multiple investigations are already being conducted by authorities, including the Commission on Human Rights and other government agencies.
“The right course is to let these processes run their full course without political interference,” Benitez said. “Justice is best served by institutions doing their work, not by Congress getting ahead of them.”
Benitez commended the efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, especially the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion, as well as barangay officials and residents, who assist in maintaining peace and security in Negros.
“The insurgency in Negros is not an abstraction debated in Manila or argued about online. It is a daily reality our farmers, teachers, and local officials live with. It is felt in fear, in displacement, in lost school days, in stalled livelihoods,” the lawmaker said.
Benitez also urged students, journalists, and researchers who come to Negros to study, document, and serve Negrense communities, to coordinate with their academic institutions, the concerned barangay and local government units.
“In parts of our province where the conflict remains live, coordination is a layer of safety. We want you to be able to do what you came to do, and to go home safely,” the lawmaker said.
Among the 19 casualties of the April 19 clash in Barangay Salamanca were two American activists, two student activists of the University of the Philippines, a community journalist, and a teacher.
Benitez called for unity and healing in the aftermath of the violence, emphasizing that peace in Negros cannot be achieved through military action alone.
“But peace in Negros will not be won by force alone. Our people need two things in equal measure: protection and new sources of livelihood,” he said.
Benitez stressed the need for stronger security measures alongside long-term investments in agriculture, tourism, creative industries, and education to address the roots of insurgency in the province.
“Where there is no opportunity, despair grows. And despair is what the insurgency feeds on,” he said, adding that sustainable development is key to giving young people “a real future.”
The congressman also expressed sympathy for the families of those killed in the Toboso encounter.
“Whatever the circumstances, every one of those lives mattered. As a Negrosanon and as a public servant, I grieve with the families left behind,” he said. | GB
