On the recent remarks of Gibo Teodoro on the Negros 19 killings
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS RELEASE
May 24, 2026
References: Maria Sol Taule, KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General, 09452966916
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
On the recent remarks of Gibo Teodoro on the Negros 19 killings
Human rights alliance KARAPATAN strongly denounced Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for his “utak-berdugo” remarks defending the military’s version of the Toboso massacre and dismissing independent fact-finding efforts as misinformation.
“Napakagarapal ng lohika ni Teodoro. Kapag mga sibilyan at human rights workers ang nagsalita, hearsay daw. Pero kapag sundalo ang nagsabing armado ang mga biktima, automatic na credible at gospel truth? (Teodoro’s logic is utterly shameless. When civilians and human rights workers speak out, he dismisses it as hearsay. But when soldiers claim the victims were armed, it automatically becomes credible and treated as gospel truth)” said KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General Maria Sol Taule.
“The uniforms and badges of these soldiers cannot cover up their lies. Teodoro's words cannot erase the military's long history of massacres, fake encounters, enforced disappearances, and terror-tagging of civilians to justify their crimes,” Taule said.
KARAPATAN said Teodoro’s statements reveal the government’s continuing refusal to allow genuine accountability and independent scrutiny whenever military atrocities are exposed.
“For someone who keeps demanding ‘scientific basis’ and ‘credible evidence,’ Teodoro seems terrified of independent investigations and fact-finding missions. If the AFP’s claims are indeed true, why attack those who seek to verify the facts on the ground? Why vilify humanitarian and solidarity missions instead of welcoming impartial scrutiny?” Taule asked.
KARAPATAN along with other Negros-based groups recently conducted a national factfinding mission on the Negros 19 killings.
KARAPATAN stressed that the military cannot simply invoke “direct testimony” to automatically absolve itself of responsibility, especially given the AFP’s documented pattern of misinformation and cover-ups in cases of human rights violations.
“The AFP has repeatedly fabricated stories to justify killings — from branding civilians as armed rebels to recycling the same script of alleged encounters after massacres. The public is not obliged to blindly accept military narratives, especially from an institution with blood on its hands,” Taule said.
KARAPATAN also slammed Teodoro’s attack on the credibility of independent groups documenting rights violations. “Ang tunay na walang kredibilidad ay isang gobyernong paulit-ulit na nagsisinungaling para bigyang-katwiran ang pagpatay (The ones who truly have no credibility are government officials who repeatedly lie to justify killings),” Taule added.
The group further said Teodoro’s rhetoric dangerously equates criticism and independent documentation with terrorism, a policy and practice that has long endangered activists, humanitarian workers, church people, and even local residents who speak out against violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
“Red-tagging and discrediting independent investigations have become standard tactics whenever the military is cornered by evidence and public outrage. Instead of answering serious allegations, officials resort to intimidation, propaganda, and outright lies,” Taule said.
“Ang totoo, hindi naghahanap si Gibo Teodoro ng ebidensya — naghahanap siya ng paraan para linisin ang dugo sa kamay ng AFP(The truth is, Gibo Teodoro is not looking for evidence — he is looking for ways to wash the blood off the AFP’s hands),” KARAPATAN said.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.