18/05/2026
BREAKING | UP Cebu alumnus, four individuals killed in Cauayan military operation
UP Cebu Computer Science alumnus and student leader Vince Francis Dingding was among the five individuals killed in a military operation conducted by the 15th Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade on Saturday, May 16, in Cauayan, Negros Occidental.
The other fatalities were identified as Jobert Casipong, Gilbert Tingson, Rolando Dantes, and Alex Chavez Languita. Authorities said the incident occurred in the hinterland areas of Barangays Abaca and Poblacion.
Dingding previously served in the UP Cebu University Student Council (USC) as vice chairperson in 2015, councilor in 2014, and second-year representative in 2013. He was also affiliated with the mass organizations Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante (NKE) and Kabataan Partylist Cebu.
Within the university and broader Cebu community, Dingding was known for campaigns centered on student rights, education, and human rights advocacy.
He participated in campaigns opposing the STFAP/STS tuition scheme, pushing for free education in state universities and colleges (SUCs), resisting the K-12 program, and joining national mobilizations against the Pork Barrel system and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The incident comes amid continuing militarization and counterinsurgency operations across the Negros Island Region (NIR).
Longstanding socioeconomic issues in the region, including low farm wages, contractual labor arrangements, and lack of land ownership among agricultural workers, have long been factors contributing to resistance in the island.
Despite the island’s major contribution to the agricultural industry, many farmworkers continue to face low daily wages reportedly ranging from ₱150 to ₱250, contractual labor arrangements, and lack of land ownership.