CEBU, PHILIPPINES — The family of a slain University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu alumnus and former student leader who was among the five individuals killed in a series of military encounters in Cauayan, Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 16, has decided not to claim his remains.
Capitol Site Barangay Captain Kelly Quijada confirmed that the parents of Vince Francis Dingding would no longer retrieve his body.
“Matud pa sa pamilya nga dili na nila kuhaon ang patay nga lawas, adto nalang nila ipalubong,” Quijada told The Freeman.
Dingding, a Computer Science graduate and former University Student Council official of UP Cebu, was a resident of Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City. He was among the five suspected rebels killed during a series of military operations in Negros Occidental over the weekend.
According to the Philippine Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion and the 302nd Infantry Brigade, the operations were conducted in the hinterland villages of Barangays Abaca and Poblacion as part of focused military actions targeting alleged remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in southern Negros.
Authorities said the first encounter took place at around 6 a.m., followed by two more armed clashes later in the day. The military said troops responded to reports from residents regarding the alleged presence of communist rebels in the area.
Aside from Dingding, the other fatalities were identified as Jobert Casipong, Gilbert Tingson, Rolando Dantes Jr., and Alex Chavez Languita.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) claimed that Dingding was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and was previously linked to the Southeast Front-D of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros from 2022 to 2024.
Authorities also reported recovering firearms and alleged war materiel from the encounter site, including rifles, a grenade launcher, and a machine gun.
Military personnel said the bodies were retrieved on Sunday, May 17, and brought to a funeral home in Cauayan.
In a statement, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) expressed grief over what it described as the destructive impact of the CPP-NPA-NDF on families and communities.
The task force cited Dingding’s case as an example of how insurgency-related involvement allegedly strained family ties and caused emotional suffering.
In a handwritten letter dated May 18 and signed by his parents, Romulo and Rica Dingding appealed for all matters concerning their son’s death to be coursed through their barangay captain to spare the family from further distress.
The letter also disclosed that Vince’s mother is battling colon cancer and had been advised to avoid stress to aid her recovery.
Meanwhile, progressive youth groups and former colleagues at UP Cebu mourned Dingding’s death.
The Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante (NKE), where Dingding once served as a student leader, described him as an advocate for education rights, workers’ welfare, and social issues during his years in campus activism.
The group also highlighted his involvement in campaigns against tuition increases, the K to 12 program, and other national policy concerns, saying his activism extended beyond campus issues to broader social struggles.
NKE and allied organizations likewise raised concerns over ongoing military operations in Negros, linking the incident to what they described as continued militarization in rural communities. Human rights groups have long raised similar concerns over the impact of counterinsurgency operations on civilians in the region.
The AFP, however, maintained that the operation formed part of legitimate security actions against armed insurgents in the province.
| Written by Shiela Mae Agrabio/FPL
