On May 5, the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS), alongside BAYAN-USA, called for a national day of mourning and rage for the 19 Filipinos massacred by the Philippine military on April 20, 2026 in Toboso, Negros Occidental. BAYAN-USA is a multilateral and multisectoral alliance of Filipino National Democratic mass organizations in the United States.
The day of mourning of rage is a part of the week of action under the slogan of “migrant workers, unite to fight fascism, exploitation, and war.”
Across the United States, multiple Filipino organizations held vigils, rallies, and marches on this day to honor the memory of the Negros 19 and demand justice. The activists demanded a transparent and thorough investigation of the encounter and repudiated the lies of the Philippine Old State that all victims were part of the armed New People’s Army.
The actions especially highlighted Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana Sorem, two Filipino-American victims of the Toboso massacre who were both active in the Philippine National Democratic movement in the United States. Prijoles was the founding solidarity officer of Anakbayan-USA and later, a country council member of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines. Kai Dana Sorem was a co-founder of the Anakbayan chapter of South Seattle.
Mass activists from the Revolutionary Front and its allied organizations responded to the call for the national day of mourning and rage, attending the actions and joining in the demand for justice. The organizations previously stated in a joint statement: “The workers of the US have every reason to take interest in and support the struggle for the liberation of the Filipino people. These attacks are carried out using American weapons, with training and assistance by the US military, funded through money taken out of American worker’s wages.”
“We extend our utmost solidarity to the National Democratic movement in the Philippines which RJ Ledesma, Alyssa Alano, Maureen Keil Santuyo, and Errol Wendel gave their lives to,” said the organizations.
