[STATEMENT] JUSTICE FOR THE TOBOSO MASSACRE VICTIMS!
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) calls for an immediate investigation and justice for the Filipinos and Filipino Americans killed in the military operation carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on 19 April 2026, in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
We honour:
Roel Sabillo (19)
R.J. Nichole Ledesma (30)
Alyssa Alano (22)
Maureen Keil Santuyo (24)
Errol Wendel (24)
Jemima Gumadlas (15)
Lyle Prijoles (40)
Kai Sorem (26)
Dexter Patajo (17)
They were students, journalists, farmers—even children—who were killed indiscriminately and mercilessly by aerial strikes. The reported use of aerial strafing and artillery in community areas are clear violations of international humanitarian law, and we demand an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation. The Philippine government and military must be held accountable.
We remember Kai Sorem with us at our 2025 Global Assembly in Nepal, where she joined the delegates from IMA USA on stage, singing and playing guitar with her comrades. She was a revolutionary artist and community leader in the US, taken from us for simply caring about her fellow Filipino people and joining the oppressed and exploited peasant farmers in the Negros countryside. We miss her dearly, and we are more determined than ever to advance our movements worldwide for genuine justice and peace.
Their martyrdom—and this massacre—reflect the State’s role in defending the interests of landlords and big business at the expense of the people. Despite Negros being known as the country’s sugar capital, peasant farmers continue to suffer from extremely low wages, high land rents, land grabbing, and pollution by foreign corporations.
Filipino people have long endured structural oppression and exploitation that result in widespread poverty, unemployment, and displacement. These conditions are among the root causes forcing millions to leave the country in search of survival and dignity—reflected in the fact that around 10 percent of Filipinos are migrants working abroad in pursuit of better opportunities.
In the face of such conditions, rural communities have organised collectively, drawing strength from solidarity and mutual aid to assert their rights and dignity. Kai, Lyle, and the other victims were there supporting these communities.
Instead of addressing the root causes of the people’s suffering, the current Marcos regime continues to rely on militarisation, repression, and disinformation. This is not an isolated case but part of a long history of violence in Negros—from past massacres to ongoing extrajudicial killings, red-tagging, harassment, and fabricated charges against activists and community leaders.
At the same time, the BALIKATAN and SALAKNIB joint military exercises involving foreign militaries such as the US, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand are currently ongoing in the Philippines. This further supports claims that military technology and equipment developed in countries such as Japan and the US were shipped there and used on civilians. We have heard this narrative before in Gaza.
Across the world, states and their allies justify attacks on civilian populations under the guise of “security” and “counterterrorism.” From large-scale atrocities to the inhumane treatment of migrants and refugees, and the targeting of activists and organisers globally, these attacks are becoming increasingly violent.
We stand with the Filipino people and all oppressed peoples resisting violence, exploitation, and displacement. We call for an immediate investigation of this massacre, an end to all military operations, the withdrawal of foreign military presence, and genuine accountability for all those responsible for these crimes, including all governments and militaries.
We join migrant workers, grassroots organisations, and solidarity movements worldwide in condemning this massacre and in strengthening our collective struggle for genuine justice and a just and lasting peace. We will carry on the legacy of the martyrs by continuing to organise, educate, and mobilise across borders—strengthening international solidarity and advancing our collective struggle to end all forms of injustice.
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