NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The family of slain former student leader Vince Francis Dingding has decided not to claim his remains following the latest armed encounter in southern Negros Occidental, according to a handwritten letter posted by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The letter, dated May 18, said the circumstances surrounding Dingding’s death had caused the family too much distress, particularly his mother, who is reportedly battling colon cancer and has been advised to avoid stress during her treatment and recovery.
In a postscript, the family said they “will no longer claim his remains” and appealed for privacy and proper coordination regarding matters related to their son’s death, adding that all concerns and transactions should be coursed through their barangay official in Capitol Site, Cebu City, to lessen their burden during what they described as a difficult time. The letter was signed by Dingding’s parents, Romulo and Rica.
Tug-ani, the official student publication of UP Cebu, reported that Dingding, from Cebu City, was among those killed during an operation by troops of the Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade in the hinterland villages of Abaca and Poblacion in Cauayan town, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, May 16.
