Rebels raise funds using the ‘Toboso’ firefight
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has warned that NPA rebels were using a recent firefight with soldiers to raise funds by appealing to supporters abroad.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. visited the 79th Infantry Battalion in Sagay City and the 15th Infantry Battalion sa Cauayan, Negros Occidental last Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Joe M. Reyes | May 25, 2026
BACOLOD CITY — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has warned that the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were using a recent firefight with soldiers to raise funds by appealing to supporters abroad.
Teodoro said at least 19 armed Maoist-led rebels had died in clashes with the Philippine Army in northern Negros.
However, the guerrillas wanted to turn the tragedy into a fund-raising activity by appealing to rebel sympathizers to donate for the slain rebels. (Also read: Teodoro rejects resuming peace talks with Maoist rebels)
“They are using the tragic death of these 19 people as a propaganda tool for them to gain relevance, power, and maybe they seek the status of legitimacy,” Teodoro told journalists during a troop visit to one of the Communist insurgency hotbeds.
Teodoro said it is obvious the communist movement is getting funding from foreign groups, but declined to elaborate.
“I cannot disclose the information, since the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has been looking into it. We cannot even access that information unless there is an anti-money laundering case.”
In the past, the rebels raised funds through threats and intimidation, targeting mining and agricultural companies in the provinces, as well as large conglomerates, construction, and other big companies in urban centers
There were also intelligence reports suggesting that millions of dollars were also raised from foreign civil society groups, human rights advocates, and like-minded supporters. (Also read: Security adviser opposes peace talks with Maoist rebels)
The rebels also imposed revolutionary taxes on poor Filipinos, and those who refused to contribute were executed.
Teodoro also denounced false information about the firefight. “There’s a lot of misinformation coming out,” he said.
“I’m here to correct that misimpression and misinformation. And I am 100 percent sure of the legitimacy, not only the planning, but also the conduct of the operation in Toboso and Cauayan.”