• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The former rebels’ organization Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc. (BKFI) has rejected allegations of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros that its recent fact-finding mission was merely propaganda, saying its findings were based on documented cases and testimonies gathered from communities on the island.
In a statement over the weekend, the BKFI said its recent 22-day fact-finding mission involved 14 civil society organizations and non-government organizations.
It covered 13 locations and gathered testimonies from 35 respondents, most of them relatives of individuals allegedly killed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“Based on accounts from recently surrendered former CPP-NPA members, decisions to kill alleged government informants or agents were sometimes made at the squad or platoon level by a three-person command composed of a commanding officer, deputy, and political instructor,” the BKFI said.
It added that these decisions were carried out without a formal trial, defense, or appeal and were subsequently reported to higher command.
BKFI claimed that 63 civilians were killed by the CPP-NPA in Negros between January 2025 and July 2026.
It also rejected allegations that it is connected to government military operations against the CPP-NPA, stressing that they are an independent group of former rebels engaged in peacebuilding and reintegration efforts.
Founded last year, the BKFI said its objective was to document the experiences of victims and their families and to call attention to alleged abuses committed during the continuing armed conflict in Negros.
Maoche Legislador, spokesperson of the NPA’s Regional Operations Command, accused BKFI of misleading the public through its fact-finding mission.
Legislador branded the BKFI as an organization of “traitors of the revolution”. | GPB
