The death of former student leader, Vince Francis Dingding—one of the five reported rebels killed in the May 16 clash in Cauayan, Negros Occidental—is a case of ‘terror grooming,’ the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Tuesday.
“His death is another painful reminder of the continuing tragedy caused by the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) terror-grooming pipeline—a process that preys on the idealism of young Filipinos and draws them from advocacy spaces into underground networks and, eventually, armed struggle,” the body said in a statement.
In the Cauayan encounter, the NTF-ELCAC said government forces engaged heavily-armed NPA remnants, resulting in the deaths of Dinging and four others, including two alleged NPA leaders.
Once active in student leadership circles and associated with the University of the Philippines-Cebu community, Dingding reportedly served in political and organizational functions within the terrorist movement’s Southeast Front structures in Negros.
Reports also indicate that he had links to individuals previously associated with alleged NPA activities in Negros.
“No Filipino death should ever be celebrated as a victory—least of all the death of a young, educated, and promising individual. Behind every casualty is not just a name in a report, but a son, a friend, a classmate, and a human life that once held immense possibility,” the NTF-ELCAC said.
“The broader pattern cannot be ignored: too many bright, principled, and talented young Filipinos have passed through environments where activism, ideological conditioning, underground recruitment, and armed struggle dangerously intersect,” it said.
The NTF-ELCAC said families, schools, universities, communities, and institutions must work together to recognize early warning signs, protect the youth, and ensure that legitimate social concern is never exploited as a pathway to violence.
“Vince Francis Dingding must not become just another casualty statistic. His story should stand as a painful national reminder: every wasted youth is a loss to the Filipino people, and peace, opportunity, vigilance, and prevention remain our best defense against the cycle of deception, violence, and death,” the task force added.
