Another region has been declared insurgency free. This time it is the Cagayan Valley.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2026/03/25/council-declares-region-2-insurgency-free |
Cagayan Valley was formally declared insurgency-free during a meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) at the provincial capitol here on Tuesday, March 24.
The RPOC led by chairperson and Cagayan Gov. Edgar B. Aglipay approved a resolution affirming the declaration which was called a major milestone in the government’s campaign to end local communist armed conflict.
Aglipay said the region is now under a State of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SSIPS), signifying sustained peace, improved security conditions, and strengthened governance across all provinces in Cagayan Valley.
The governor emphasized that the declaration is the result of unified and sustained efforts among government agencies, security forces, local government units, and communities under the whole-of-nation approach.
“This declaration is the result of the collective action of various sectors—from the government, the police, and the military, to local governments and citizens—to finally put an end to the threat of insurgency in our region,” Aglipay said.
He recognized the dedication and sacrifices of the security sector, noting that their continued vigilance and commitment have been instrumental in maintaining peace and protecting communities from threats posed by communist terrorist groups.
The RPOC said the declaration indicates the absence of active armed threats in affected areas. The SSIPS status affirms that peace in the region is not merely temporary but is being sustained through effective governance, ongoing development initiatives, and active public participation.
Aglipay said that the RPOC will intensify collaboration among member-agencies to ensure the effective implementation of strategies aimed at addressing other forms of criminality and sustaining long-term peace and development in Cagayan Valley.
"The declaration indicates the absence of active armed threats in affected areas." Interesting. Note that it does not mean the absence of actual NPA combatants.
In Negros three top NPA remnants fell in a recent clash. The Army says that is justice for their victims.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1271587 |
The death of three ranking New People's Army (NPA) remnants in Negros Island has brought justice to the victims of summary executions in southern Negros, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) declared on Monday.
“Justice has prevailed with the neutralization of these ranking remnants who were behind the brutal killings of civilians in Negros," 3ID commander Maj. Gen. Michael Samson said in a statement.
Part of the NPA's Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros dismantled Southwest Front and Regional Striking Force (RSF), they died in a firefight with troops of the 47th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Tampalon, Kabankalan City, on March 21.
RSF vice commander Ritchell "Ka Makoy," 26, was a resident of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, who was deployed to the Southwest Front in 2025.
Milky “Ka Gorting” Sampini, 29, RSF finance and logistics officer, of Lamugong, Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, was a red fighter since 2016.
Joedil “Ka Cairo" Balsimo, 21, of Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, was a squad leader of RSF, who joined the NPA in southern Negros in 2023.
Their remains were brought to the Sola Gracia Funeral Homes in Kabankalan City for documentation and coordination with their respective families, the 3ID report said.
The three NPA remnants were identified by the 302nd Infantry Brigade as among the perpetrators in the series of civilian killings in Negros Island.
One of the victims, Leonora Anguit, 74, who was tagged as a military informant, was executed by rebels near her home in Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City, on Feb. 3 this year, an act admitted by the NPA in a statement.
According to reports, the house of Anguit was occupied by the seven NPA remnants who were killed in a clash with soldiers in April last year.
After the encounter in Sitio Santol over the weekend, the 47IB troops recovered five high-powered firearms – one R4 rifle, two M16 rifles, and two M203 grenade launchers – as well as a hand grenade, personal items, and subversive documents.
If death is justice then what is amnesty??
In Suirgao Sur a clash left two NPA rebels dead.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1271526 |
Two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter that occurred on Sunday afternoon in the periphery of Barangay Nurcia, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, the military here said.
“Troops from the 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB) were conducting a security operation in the area when the encounter happened,” the 401st Infantry Brigade (401st IBde) said in a statement on Monday.
The operation was launched after residents reported the presence of NPA rebels in the area, particularly the remnants of Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad Westland under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee.
Following the firefight, the NPA rebels abandoned their position, leaving behind their two dead comrades, who were later identified as Ka Rex and Ka Bunso.
The 36IB troopers also recovered four high-powered firearms from the encounter site.
“After the clash, troops immediately secured the area to ensure the safety of nearby communities and prevent further threats,” Col. Glenn Joy Aynera, the 401st IBde commander, said in the same statement.
Pursuit operations are ongoing to track down the NPA remnants who are on the run following the encounter.
But there were other rebels besides the two dead. How many were there? The article does not say. Over all operations during March in Surigao Sur have depleted the NPA.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1271938 |
A series of military operations this month dealt major setbacks to the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Caraga Region, particularly in Surigao del Sur, with government forces recovering 14 high-powered firearms, ammunition and other war materials.
This month’s ongoing operations also led to the deaths of two NPA rebels and the surrender of two others.
“This is the result of the combined efforts of the military, local government units and civilians in our communities through the effective implementation of the whole-of-nation approach,” Capt. Melvin Dela Calzada, operations officer of the Philippine Army’s 4th Civil-Military Operations Battalion, said Friday.
He said Army battalions in Caraga have built strong ties with communities, including civilians who once supported the rebel movement.
“The issues once used by the NPA in recruiting civilians and influencing our communities have been addressed by the government through the whole-of-nation approach,” Dela Calzada said.
He added that through civil-military operations, the Army has identified community concerns and referred them to government agencies and local governments for immediate action.
“The NPA rebels could no longer exploit the issues and concerns since these are already addressed by the government,” he said.
On March 24, the 36th Infantry Battalion (IB) under the 401st Infantry Brigade recovered three high-powered firearms in Barangay Bitaugan, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur. The cache included a Czech VZ rifle and two Carbine rifles.
On March 22, two NPA rebels were killed in a clash with government troopers in Barangay Nurcia, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur. Four high-powered firearms and ammunition were recovered after the encounter, which stemmed from reports of rebels conducting extortion activities.
On March 21, two NPA rebels surrendered to the 36IB headquarters, bringing with them two high-powered firearms.
Also, on March 13, troops from the 30IB uncovered four high-powered firearms in Barangay Carromata, San Miguel, comprising three M16A1 rifles, one M4 rifle and 173 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Two days earlier, 30IB troopers also recovered an R4 rifle with ammunition in Barangay Carromata.
Meanwhile, the Local Amnesty Board (LAB) in Butuan City said that as of March 26, a total of 155 former rebels from Agusan del Norte have been issued safe conduct passes (SCPs).
To date, the LAB-Butuan has received 556 SCP applications, including 232 filed this year, with 169 still being processed.
That is only four rebels neutralized in the area. How many remain?
The NTF-ELCAC is engaging with academe concerning NPA recruitment.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1270991 |
A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Friday said the body will continue engaging with universities and the academe to inform and educate students on the realities of insurgency and recruitment of young people.
"The NTF-ELCAC will never tire in engaging academic institutions with respect and openness, even as passionate students misconstrue or even intentionally misrepresent our intentions. Our shared objective is to ensure that Filipino youth are equipped with truth, critical thinking, and opportunity, not drawn into conflicts that only prolong suffering and division," said Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC executive director.
This is needed as the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) and national democratic organizations have invested significant effort in organizing and recruiting within major universities and schools across the country, the NTF-ELCAC official stressed.
"This is not a claim invented out of thin air, as it is a historical reality acknowledged by former members, even by the movement itself. It is not the fault or failing of these schools that a few of their students started as well-intentioned activists later became armed insurgents," he added.
Torres said many former rebels, who now work in peace-building, recounted how their political journeys began inside campuses where narratives romanticized armed struggle while downplaying its human cost.
Likewise, the NTF-ELCAC official called on universities across the country to raise the level of discourse on insurgency, youth recruitment, and academic freedom, stressing that honest and responsible debate — not propaganda or slogans — must guide discussions in campuses if the nation is to achieve just peace and genuine nation-building.
Torres made this request after noting that recent social media debates triggered by a forum held last year at the University of Santo Tomas highlighted the continuing tension between academic freedom and the need to openly confront the realities of insurgency and the recruitment of young people into armed struggle.
“Universities have always been spaces where ideas collide. Here, convictions are tested and difficult national questions are debated. Our aim should always be to elevate discourse in ways that promote peace and academic freedom while steering conversations away from propaganda and toward just peace and nation-building,” he said.
He also added that individuals who speak about insurgency and youth recruitment —particularly former rebels and scholars with firsthand knowledge — should not automatically be dismissed as enemies of academic freedom.
“Many of those who speak candidly about these matters do so precisely because they have witnessed how young lives can be drawn into cycles of violence through ideological manipulation or what can be described as terror grooming,” he said.
Torres also added that professors and resource persons who raise these concerns deserve to be heard even when their views are strongly contested.
“Passionate debates are part of university life. But the manner in which we engage each other—whether with respect or dismissal—ultimately determines whether dialogue enlightens or divides," he added.
So, the NPA is strategically defeated, the amnesty program is a big blow to them, remaining rebels are beginning to see the light and surrender, yet the NPA is still able to recruit? How is this possible?
The NTF-ELCAC is also seeking to insert its propaganda into Holy Week sermons.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1271638 |
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is urging churches, civil society groups, and government agencies to promote peace, reconciliation, and unity as the country observes Holy Week.
Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day major island action planning workshop for Northern and Central Luzon on Tuesday, NTF-ELCAC Strategic Communications head Rodrigo Lutao said the call for peace is rooted in both faith and national development.
"The true cost of violence is borne not on battlefields alone, but in homes, schools, markets, and places of worship – where innocent people simply seek to live in peace. Holy Week calls us to reflect on suffering, but also on the hope that suffering can lead to renewal," Lutao said.
He said NTF-ELCAC continues to push its peace advocacy, especially during Holy Week, a period of reflection for Filipinos.
Lutao added that biblical teachings underscore respect for authority and unity.
"The Bible verses are very significant in shaping our understanding of peace and security in the Philippines, especially today," he said.
He emphasized that the task force, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., remains committed to promoting peace and security nationwide, noting that stability is key to economic progress.
"For many years, our nation has endured the painful consequences of violence and terrorism. It is often our ordinary citizens who have paid the heaviest price – families torn apart, communities displaced, livelihoods destroyed, and innocent lives lost. Mothers and fathers have buried their children. Children have grown up amid fear and uncertainty. Entire communities have struggled to rebuild after the devastation left by acts of terror. On this solemn day, we remember these suffering communities," Lutao said.
He added that nation-building requires unity, cooperation, and respect for institutions that uphold the rule of law, calling on Filipinos to work together in addressing the root causes of violence.
"For peace is not merely the absence of conflict – it is the presence of justice, compassion, and solidarity," Lutao said.
In a message to participants, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the government’s approach to peace and order has evolved from the 1980s, when efforts were largely focused on security operations and psychological operations.
"Our fighters from (the) communist movement are now almost decimated, so we have to change strategy, not just on the operation plan and psy-ops. The best way is (to) inform the public of the truth. The truth hurts, but it is the truth," Magalong said.
Holy Week is all about the crucifxion of Christ. How about they save the politics for another day?
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