Insurgency: Negros Oriental on the Way to Being Insurgency Free

Recently the AFP declared the whole of the Davao region to be insurgency free. Now, two more villages in Mindanao, this time in Cotabato, have also been declared insurgency free.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1683701/army-declares-2-cotabato-towns-free-of-npa-presence

The towns of Matalam and Mlang in Cotabato province have been cleared of communist rebels, according to 1st Lt. Michael Allan Eugenio, the civil-military relations officer of the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion.

The municipal councils of the two towns have also passed resolutions affirming the Army declaration, Eugenio said.

‘The declaration came after our consistent military operations and efforts in reaching out to the former rebel-influenced communities, sectors, and organizations through the Community Support Program (CSP),” he said.

Eugenio said government troops had neutralized the two units of the New People’s Army — Guerilla Front 53 in Matalam and Guerilla Front 72 Mt. Alip Command, which operated at the borders of Mlang with South Cotabato province and parts of Davao del Sur.

Eugenio added that, through the CSP, security forces discovered and dismantled three underground mass organizations run by the Kilusang Rebolusyonaryo sa Barangay (KRB).

He said 41 NPA personalities also surfaced, including 35 members of the KRB and the Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad, among others.

The 90^th Infantry Battalion, he said, would continue with activities to wrest other towns in its area of jurisdiction away from communist influence.

On the heels of declaring the entire region of Davao insurgency free it appears the AFP is now focusing their sights on Negros Oriental. Last week a top NPA official was killed and another one was arrested. The AFP says this arrest will thwart the NPA's attempts at regrouping. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186357

The arrest of a leader of a dismantled guerrilla front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in southern Negros Oriental has dealt a further blow to its efforts to recover their area, an official of the Philippine Army said on Monday.

 

Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo, commanding officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, told the Philippine News Agency that the arrest of Reneboy Haniala Pagon last week has further weakened the insurgency movement in the south.

 

Pagon, 34, resident of Sitio Balascan in Barangay Napacao, Siaton town, was tagged as the leader of Squad 2 of the Southeast Front (SEF) under the Rachel Mae Palang Command.

 

He was arrested last Oct. 14 in Sitio Salingkubong, Barangay Tayak of the same town by virtue of arrest warrants for separate criminal offenses.

 

Salayo said the remnants of the dismantled SEF of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor continue to recruit members but relentless government efforts have prevented them from succeeding.

 

They are also definitely affected in general by the recent series of operations by government troops against the CPP-NPA, he said.

 

Some of them have also already signified their intent to surrender to authorities but Salayo said they are still “testing the waters”.

 

“The biggest impact on the SEF is that we are relentlessly pursuing them and it’s already been a year since we conducted continuous operations against them,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

What has been the result of a continuous year of operations against the NPA in Negros Oriental? 8 dead and 18 weapons recovered.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186356

Security operations of various units under the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) in Negros Island have resulted in the death of eight Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) rebels and the confiscation of 18 firearms and explosives between March 23, 2021 and October 10 this year.

“We will remain focused on sustaining the momentum in capacitating the 303rd Brigade towards greater mission effectiveness. We will live up to our brand of honor, patriotism, and duty. We will remain steadfast and resolute in our mandate of serving the people and securing the land,” Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303IBde, said in a statement on Monday.

In 2021, the troops figured in encounters in Sitio Agit, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on March 23; Hacienda Raymunda, Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, Negros Occidental, Aug. 20; Barangay San Pablo, Manapla, Negros Occidental, Sept. 30.

This year, the clashes were in Barangay Suay on March 18 and Barangay Carabalan on Oct. 10 -- both in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

Data showed the troops seized 11 high-powered firearms, including six M16 rifles, two M14 rifles, an M60 general purpose machine gun, an M4 carbine, and a KG9 pistol, along with two hand grenades, a fragmentary grenade, a 9mm pistol, and three low-powered firearms.

This year, the CPP-NPA leaders killed were Romeo Nanta also known as Juanito Magbanua, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, on Oct. 10; and Ramon “Using” Patriarca, deputy secretary and finance officer of Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, last March 18.

Last year, among those who died were Kerima Lorena Tariman and Marilyn “Monet” Badayos, both of the now dismantled Northern Negros Front.

Also, 14 CPP-NPA members, including leaders and cadres, were arrested.

It would appear that there have been no surrenders in Negros Oriental but that is not the case as there were were 19 in July of this year. 

https://pia.gov.ph/news/2022/07/05/19-npa-rebels-surrender-in-negor

After realizing they have no future and became fed up with the false promises of the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs), 19 combatant members of the New People's Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered to authorities of the 94th Infantry Battalion at Barangay Tambo, Ayungon in Negros Oriental.

"The cooperation of the people has been a great factor in enlightening many of our brothers of choosing the right path towards peace,” said Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd brigade commander of the Philippine Army. 

The official also hopes that more will surrender in the interest of reconciliation for the peace and development of the NPA members. 

In a simple ceremony, the surrenderers took their oath of allegiance to the government to officially cut their ties with the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorist group and to publicly denounce the CTGs.

During the ceremony, the former NPA members burned the CPP-NPA-NDF flag at the headquarters of the 94th Infantry Battalion in Ayungon town on July 2.

In August 4 NPA officials from Negros Oriental surrendered. 

https://pia.gov.ph/news/2021/08/10/4-npa-officials-surrender-in-negor

Four high ranking officials of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered on Aug. 7 to authorities of the Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion (IB). 

The 11th IB based in Siaton town reported that the CPP-NPA terrorists brought with them some firearms.

Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo, 11IB commanding officer, identified the surrenderees as alias Jango and alias Jay, both members of Regional Striking Force (RSF), Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS); alias Rodel, vice squad leader of Squad 3, Central Negros 2; and alias Bong, the remaining squad leader of South East Front.  

Salayo said Bong and Rodel also surrendered some firearms, qualifying him to be enrolled in the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) for rebel returnees.

Surrendered firearms include two Cal. 45 pistol with 28 live ammunitions.

“Realizing that this is for the betterment of their lives and their families, they surrendered themselves to the government with the help of the troops,” the Philippine Army official said.

“It’s so difficult in the hinterlands because we have no place to hide, and the people no longer support us. We can do nothing anymore to fight back because our image or front has already been damaged,” Jango said.  

Salayo lauded the four surrenderees for choosing the right path and leaving behind the armed struggle.

“The surrender of these ranking CNTs is a clear indication that they are demoralized and fed up with the atrocities and ruthlessness of their group,” he said. 

All the while the AFP is doing its job of neutralizing the CPP-NPA former NTF-ELCAC Lorraine Badoy sees communists everywhere. This time in the Benguet Electrical Cooperative or BENECO. They strongly deny this accusation. 

https://www.beneco.com.ph/article.php?id=91

We strongly and highly condemn the statements of LORRAINE MARIE T. BADOY-PARTOSA, an anchor of SMNI News Channel, linking the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) to the CPP-NPA-NDF. We were horrified by the gall of her declaration during a recent interview with Col. Christopher C. Sab-it, Deputy Brigate Commander of the 503rd Infantry Brigade, that our electric cooperative has been infiltrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF and has become a milking cow of these organizations.

We find the said statements malicious. We find her charges a clear case of red tagging. This has endangered our lives as employees and officers of BENECO. And to think that LORRAINE MARIE T. BADOY-PARTOSA made her call while hosting some sort of a public affairs program made her standards of ethical journalism highly suspect. The way she purveyed her views obviously manifested her disregard of the rules of fair play in media. The way she deported herself though manifested her sheer ignorance of what BENECO is all about.

We dare publicly summon LORRAINE MARIE T. BADOY-PARTOSA to provide us the information which she said was in her possession during the program. She has to produce them and prove the truth of her accusation. It was an outright peroration that besmirched BENECO's reputation before its Member Consumer Owners (MCOs) who reside in towns and communities that the electric cooperative has so fervently served since 1973.

Madam LORRAINE MARIE T. BADOY-PARTOSA, you practically put us in a bad light. That's libel. BENECO is an electric cooperative committed to perform its mandate to bring light to the rural areas. But we do not only energize. We also fight for what is right.

Lorraine Badoy's exact words were:

“I got information that even BENECO is infiltrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF and it’s like their milking cow. Diyan sila kumukuha ng kanilang pondo (It is where they get financing) to fund terrorism and corruption to maintain a certain lifestyle,” she said. 

https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/benguet-electric-coop-hits-badoy-red-tagging/

Those are damning allegations for sure and quite libelous if she cannot provide the proof she claims to possess. It is only a matter of time before she falsely red-tags the wrong person and is permanently silenced.

Benguet is in Luzon and the AFP says more NPA fronts have recently collapsed in Northern Luzon.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1681551/2-npa-guerilla-fronts-fall-to-afps-nolcom-troops

The Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday (Oct. 18) claimed to have dismantled two guerilla fronts of the New People’s Army in the Cagayan Valley region during the last three months.

The west and east front committees also fell to Nolcom forces, it said in a statement released from Camp Aquino in Tarlac City.

It did not cite which fronts straddle the Cagayan Valley provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Comments by the NPA in those areas cannot be immediately obtained.

The third quarter of 2022 also saw the arrest and surrender of 25 “communist terrorist personalities” and the seizure of 60 firearms, military and police commanders reported in a review and assessment held on Monday.

According to Nolcom, it has assisted 1,156 former rebels in availing of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program since 2018.

Communist insurgency in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Central Luzon regions is “at the tipping point and it only needs one final push,” Nolcom chief Lt. Gen Ernesto Torres Jr. said.

Earlier, he announced that CAR remained the last bastion of that five-decade-old insurgency.

The insurgency operating in the CAR "only needs one final push." Perhaps that push will come soon and Negros Oriental and the CAR will be declared insurgency free.

In Abra, which is located in the CAR, an NPA recruiter surrendered to the AFP.

https://www.kalinawnews.com/communist-terrorist-recruiter-surrender-to-govt-troops-in-abra/

A member of the Communist Terrorist Group voluntarily surrendered to the troops of the Joint Task Force Kaugnay’s 24th Infantry Battalion and the Abra Provincial Police in the vicinity of Brgy Laplapog, Villaviciosa, Abra on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

The military identified the surrendered personality as Darson Gimbaoan Tubban Jr alias “Dindo”, a 54-year-old resident of Brgy Laplapog, Villaviciosa, Abra, and a lie-low former squad leader of Samahang Yunit Pang Propaganda of the dissolved Kilusang Larangang Gerilya-Montes, Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) which operates in the areas of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur.

The former terrorist recruiter is currently undergoing custodial debriefing wherein he revealed that he has grown “tired and weary” from hiding and running away from the authorities.

Tubban also added that the relentless Community Support Programs of the military and the Task Force to End Local Community Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in the area have motivated him further to return to the folds of the law.

Another recruiter, this time from Quezon, has also surrendered. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/20/npa-recruiter-surrenders-in-quezon/

A 19-year-old member and recruiter of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in this town.

The San Andres police identified the surrenderer as Roldan Tayactac, a student with the alias “Dodong.”

Tayactac, who yielded a .38 caliber revolver, was accompanied by barangay chairman Raul Endonilla.

He was a member of the Regular ng Suportang Masa (RSG) or Malitiang Bayan (MB) under Sub-Regional Military Area (SRMA) 4-B.

Tayactac told the San Andres police, 2nd Quezon Provincial Mobile Force Company, and 85th Infantry Battalion that he was recruited on Feb. 16, 2016 at the age of 13 by Joseph delos Santos, alias “Bingot,” of Platoon Reymark of the SRMA 4-B.

He recruited in the towns of San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco, and Mulanay.

That's two recruiters who have surrednered in one week. How many more are out there? Certainly the NPA has not given up on attempting to regain strength despite the gains made against them by the AFP.