UP alumnus killed in Negros clash, community mourns loss of education advocate

CEBU, Philippines – Following news of University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu alumnus Vince Francis Dingding’s death in an armed encounter in Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 16, loved ones and members of the university community mourned the loss of the former student leader. 

Dingding, also known as “Ka Poy/Moymoy,” was among five individuals killed following a series of clashes with the 15th Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade on May 16, in Barangay Abaca, Cauayan, Negros Occidental.

According to the 302nd Infantry Brigade, residents tipped off troops on the location of the rebels in the area, resulting in a series of clashes in the hinterlands of barangays Abaca and Poblacion in Cauayan town.

Ka Maoche Legislador, spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), confirmed on Tuesday, May 19, that their members perished at around 5 pm on May 16.

Other fatalities of the encounter included Jobert “Ka Robi” Casipong, Gilbert “Ka Kolintong/Ka Downy” Tingson, Rolando “Ka Anyo” Dantes Jr., and Alex “Ka Kaya” Languita. 

The CPP-NPA spokesman said that Dingding was a member of the rebel group and the secretary of the Southwest Negros Guerilla Front.  

“Disillusioned by the meager wages of the corporate tech sector, Ka Moymoy walked away from his job at a foreign company. In 2018, he initially chose the path of a tour of duty before committing as a full-time Red fighter,” he said.

Leader and friend

A computer science graduate and student leader, Dingding served the UP Cebu community as a student council vice chairperson in 2015, councilor in 2014, and a second-year representative in 2013.

Dingding ran for council under the political organization Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante (NKE), where he participated in numerous campaigns related to education and national concerns at the time. 

The NKE said on Monday, May 18, that he led student rights and welfare campaigns against the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program and the Socialized Tuition System, advocating for accessible education. 

He also supported campaigns on broader national issues, such as the Anti-Pork Barrel Movement and junking the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. 

“Even in the smallest spaces, among classrooms, discussions, campaigns, and communities, he helped shape a generation that learned to struggle collectively instead of surrendering to silence,” NKE said. 

Mary Rose Ampoon, a friend and Computer Science junior of Dingding, recalled her friend’s kindness and love for farmers and workers in a Facebook post honoring him. 

Ampoon remembered how Dingding’s humor was able to capture the “notoriously nonchalant” Computer Science students and make a farmer laugh.

“You always found a way to stabilize, diffuse [sic] even the most tense of situations with your calm and calming composure,” Ampoon wrote. 

For Ampoon, Dingding was able to inspire and enlighten many youth into learning the realities of the masses. 

“So much of the conscientiousness I live with my life with was handed to me by your sincerity and courage during our first conversation 12 years ago,” Ampoon wrote. 

Dingding was also an alumnus of the Philippine Science High School-Central Visayas Campus (PSHS CVisC). The PSHS CVisC alumni association expressed their condolences and asked the public to extend compassion to the lives lost. 

“In mourning his loss, we are also reminded of the broader realities that continue to confront society. The persistence of social inequality, unrest, and political division calls for deeper reflection and genuine efforts of peace loving and peace building,” the alumni association said on May 19. – Gwyneth Antonio/Rappler.com

Gwyneth Antonio is a Cebu-based Rappler intern and a senior anthropology student at University of San Carlos.