04/27/2026
The DFW Anti-War Committee strongly condemns the senseless and brutal massacre of 19 people by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on April 19th in Toboso, Negros Occidental. We extend our deepest condolences and solidarity to the communities impacted and to the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines - US for the tragic loss of Lyle Prijoles.
Lyle Prijoles helped to support the formation of the Dallas Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (DCHRP), which in turn helped to build what would become the DFW Anti-War Committee. The guidance and leadership of Lyle Prijoles contributed to the growth of the anti-war movement in Dallas-Fort Worth during a transformative period of community organizing in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Shireen Abu Akleh in 2020 and 2022.
This massacre that took the lives of 19 people and displaced over 650 people from their land is a part of a larger pattern of violent attacks on the people of the Philippines, with many of the weapons provided by the United States. Surrounding this attack is the annual Balikatan “war games” exercises where the U.S. and its imperialist proxies, including the Israeli Occupation Forces, practice an invasion of China in the lands and waters of Filipino communities.
The United States has sent billions of dollars of “military aid” to the Philippines to be used in the Duterte-Marcos Jr. War on the Poor, which includes Mk-82 bombs made by Paligen (formerly REPKON) in Garland, TX. We are engaged in an active Stop the Bombs Garland campaign to cut off one flow of bombs being used in the Philippines, Palestine, Iran, Yemen, and many other countries impacted by U.S. warmongering.
Sign our petition at tinyurl.com/NoFamePaligen to get the Paligen bomb factory kicked out of the FAME program partnership with Garland-area schools. Money for schools and education, not for bombs and occupation!
Justice for the Toboso 19! Justice for Lyle Prijoles! From
Palestine to the Philippines, Stop the U.S. War Machine!
