A mass killing in the Philippines sparks rare scrutiny over counterinsurgency violence – but no wider reckoning

The Philippines has been engaged in a battle against Maoist insurgents since the late 1960s.

By: Patrick Peralta, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 28, 2026

Words: 1,282

Last Updated: 1 month, 4 weeks ago

By Patrick Peralta, University of Michigan

For nearly 60 years, the Philippine government’s war against the insurgent New People’s Army, or NPA, has rumbled on with little accountability in Manila and scarce scrutiny abroad.

That seemed to change on April 19, 2026, when 19 people were killed by Philippine troops in Toboso, Negros Occidental, the Western Visayas region of the country.

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