After the expiration of an ultimatum to surrender, the AFP is ramping up the fight against the NPA in Leyte and Samar. Apparently there are plans in place to fully eradicate the insurgency if the few remnants refuse to surrender.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1252757 |
The Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade is set to launch more aggressive operations against the remaining members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Leyte Island and parts of Samar provinces following the expiration of an ultimatum on July 15.
Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the 802nd Brigade, said Monday that plans are in place to fully eradicate the insurgency in the region if the rebels refuse to surrender.
“To the remnants of the NPA, we are giving you ultimatum. The time to return to the folds of the law is now. Choose peace. Choose life. All or nothing, now or never!” Vestuir said in an interview on Monday.
Under the offer, cash assistance will be provided to groups of rebels from the same province if they surrender together.
Vestuir said the approach aims to encourage NPA members to convince their leaders and fellow fighters to give up the armed struggle. He did not disclose the amount of the financial aid.
“The government has been helping those who have been abandoning the armed struggle. Under ultimatum, we are consolidating this assistance for a group of surrenderers. This will encourage NPA members to convince their leaders and their comrades to surrender,” Vestuir added.
“We will intensify our military operation after July 15 to completely free our communities from threats of insurgents. The ultimatum offer is for the benefit of rebels because we want them to be reunited with their families,” the official added.
The ultimatum is a follow-up to the Friends Rescued Engagement through Their Families (FReE Families) program, which counteracts the hate spread by NPA propagandists and addresses the danger and anxiety faced by the families of NPA members.
The initiative uses the power of the familial love of active NPA members to encourage them to abandon the armed struggle and live a normal and peaceful life.
Several NPA members in Leyte and Samar provinces have responded to the calls since 2023.
The Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade's area of operation includes the entire Leyte Island, Biliran province, southern part of Samar, and southern part of Eastern Samar.
Vestuir said there are only 34 active NPA fighters under their areas of operation as of this week.
With only 34 remaining NPA fighters in that area, eradicating them should be a piece of cake. Key word is should.
In the past two months 11 rebels have been neutralized in Samar.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1252907 |
The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division delivered major gains against the New People’s Army in Samar Island from May to June this year after the death as well as surrender of several rebels, and seizure of assorted firearms.
In a report Wednesday, the Philippine Army said alias Jud/Atom/Iso and Nadin/Brix/Adrian, members of the Sub-Regional Committee Sesame, voluntarily surrendered to the troops of the 63rd Infantry Battalion in Basey, Samar on May 26. They also turned over an M4 A1 Carbine and M16 rifle.
On the other hand, the first encounter occurred on May 29 in San Jose de Buan, Samar, where an unidentified communist terrorist was killed, it said.
On June 2, 2025, a rebel leader identified as alias In-In, vice squad leader of squad 1, sub-regional guerrilla unit, sub-regional committee Arctic operating in Northern Samar province, surrendered to the troops of the 20th Infantry Battalion. This led to the discovery and seizure of a hidden arms cache containing two M14 rifles, one M16 rifle, one M653 rifle, three improvised hand grenades, and other medical paraphernalia.
During the same day, another rebel, identified as alias Bug-ot of the regional guerrilla unit, Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC), also surrendered.
The following day, five NPA members died during a clash with government troopers in upland Nagoocan village in Catubig, Northern Samar. Three high-powered firearms including a squad automatic weapon, an M16 rifle, and a Uzi submachine gun were recovered.
On June 9, troops from the 87th Infantry Battalion clashed with about 30 members of the Yakal platoon, sub-regional committee Browser, EVRPC. The encounter in Can-aponte village, San Jose de Buan, Samar led to the seizure of four M16 rifles, one .45-caliber pistol, a mobile phone, medical supplies, and personal belongings.
The most recent clash occurred on June 15 in Pinanag-an village in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, where a rebel, identified as Jomar Discar, also known as alias Guimo, was killed. Troops recovered one M653 rifle.
“We have dealt another significant blow to the NPA ranks, and this is all thanks to the invaluable cooperation of the residents of Eastern Visayas. We are now in the final lap of our goal of achieving long-lasting peace, and every citizen’s involvement is crucial. Let us continue working together to put an end to this decades-long insurgency and bring lasting peace and development to Eastern Visayas,” Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said in a statement.
Orio reiterated the government’s openness to reconciliation, encouraging remaining NPA members to surrender and take advantage of the National Amnesty Program.
It's another significant blow to the NPA in Samar but how many fighters are left? They don't say.
One Samar town is hoping to be insurgency-free by December.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/06/20/samar-town-eyes-insurgency-free-status-by-december |
From being a terrorism lair to promoting tourism, the municipality of Matuguinao in Samar aims to be declared insurgency-free by December.
Mayor Aran Boller, now in his third term, said that they have institutionalized their local peace engagement to meet their target.
“We have located at least six active NPA members who originated from Matuguinao but are not operating here. We have coordinated with their families so that they can return to the folds of the law, work, and live peacefully,” he said.
The mayor maintained that Matuguinao is already peaceful with no known existence of any active New People’s Army group.
All 20 barangays were once influenced by the NPA.
Currently, all communities are free from NPA control, although four are being monitored for possible rebel recovery attempts.
Due to their aggressive tourism program, Municipal Tourism Officer Alexis Ogacho said that from 2021 to 2024, they logged 66,320 tourist arrivals in Matugnaw Spring and Maslog Cold Spring.
They also aim to develop more tourist sites, including caves and waterfalls, to provide more income for the residents and the local government.
The local chief executive appealed for the construction of roads connecting Northern Samar.
“This will greatly benefit Matuguinaonons for easy transport of their goods. We will be the closest route to Northern Samar via Las Navas or Silvino Lubos. Time will come that Matuguinao will be the center of the economy.
He added that travel time will be reduced by an hour from Northern Samar if the road project is realized.
The biggest help that the national government can provide to help address insurgency is to build roads in these areas that used to be NPA encampments. We need these roads for Matuguinao to attain lasting peace
It seems this town is already insurgency-free but is waiting for an official status from the AFP.
In Bicol 132 NPA members have surrendered between January and June, 2025.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1252998 |
The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) reported on Thursday that a total of 132 members of the New People's Army (NPA) have voluntarily surrendered to the police and military in the region in the first half of the year.
PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon said the data was recorded from Jan. 1 to June 25 this year from the six provinces of the region.
Along with their return to the fold, the NPA members surrendered 60 different types of firearms, 24 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and 2,727 pieces of various calibers of ammunition.
Dizon said the success was the result of an intensified campaign and continuous coordination between the PRO-5 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
"In partnership with various local government units and government agencies, operations, dialogues, and community outreach programs continue to be conducted to convey to those on the fringes of society that there are alternative and more peaceful ways to achieve change in their lives," he said.
Dizon said one of the keys to this success is the expanded communication and presence of the police in remote and far-flung barangays, where government programs such as the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and other support for former rebels are being promoted.
"Through this, the residents are better informed about the importance of peace and how they can recover with the help of the government," he added.
Dizon added that the implementation of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) has also been intensified, a program designed to connect the community, particularly those previously affected by insurgency, to government services and projects.
Under the RCSP, the police enforce the law and serve as bridges of information, peace advocates, and community partners in promoting development.
The PNP Bicol said it continues to call on the remaining members of the communist movement to return to the government and accept the assistance that is ready to be given to them.
"With the unity of every sector of society, the police, military, local government, and citizens, the long-awaited lasting peace and development in the Bicol region will surely be achieved," Dizon said.
With all these surrenders there should be a new headcount from the AFP. How many NPA fighters remain? Last estimate was around 1,200.
The NTF-ELCAC is the agency tasked with ending the insurgency and it has come under intense scrutiny from rights groups abroad. The UN Special Rapporteur says it is a threat to civic space. That did not sit well with the NTF-ELCAC.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1252714 |
The National Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) dismissed reports claiming that the body is a threat to the Philippine civic space.
In a statement Sunday night, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. defended the task force's mission and stressed that it has actually opened democratic spaces and not closed them.
He also challenged the global community to listen to the voices of victims, not just lobbyists.
“Peace cannot be built on partial narratives. The report describes NTF-ELCAC as a threat, but the past six years say differently. We have fostered dialogue in places the government was once unwelcome,” he added.
Torres was referring to the report issued by UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan last week, following a 10-day visit to the country in 2024.
The UN official recommended the dismantling of NTF-ELCAC, citing concerns about alleged red-tagging and intimidation of civil society groups.
Torres rejected the premise, saying what critics call red-tagging is often the exposure of facts.
“It is not red-tagging when we quote casualty lists or arrest records of NPA (New People's Army) members who double as youth leaders in so-called national democratic organizations. When former rebels swear under oath about how legal fronts shield underground operations, that’s not propaganda. That’s truth. And truth demands accountability,” he stressed.
The NTF-ELCAC said it condemns irresponsible and baseless accusations, but stressed that accountability should not be silenced by politically charged labels.
“The report calls it red-tagging, we call it lying when groups deny what they are -- despite the evidence,” Torres said.
Torres also cited the task force’s work with schools, churches and former rebel communities as evidence of its commitment to inclusive peace-building.
“Professors and students now sit in open forums with former rebels. Faith-based groups work with us in healing communities long torn by conflict,” he said. “These are not signs of shrinking civic space -- they are proof of it expanding.”
Responding to the report’s assertion that insurgency has been "diminished" and no longer justifies the task force’s continued existence, Torres warned against complacency.
“CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front) recruitment is still ongoing, targeting minors and students,” he said. “Legal fronts remain active in shielding the underground movement. Is this the moment to step back, or the moment to stay the course?” Torres asked.
NTF-ELCAC, created under Executive Order 70 in 2018, was designed as a whole-of-nation response to end the decades-old communist insurgency in the Philippines.
Rather than relying solely on military action, the task force brings together agencies to deliver livelihood, education, and infrastructure in conflict-affected areas.
“Our mission is the product of 50 years of failed peace talks and broken promises. And now that we are seeing real results, we are being told to disband?” he asked.
While acknowledging that “no program is perfect,” Torres said the administration continues to pursue “reforms, safeguards, and deeper consultation” to improve the task force’s work.
He warned against efforts to silence the voices of ordinary Filipinos who have lived through insurgency.
Of everything said in defense of the NTF-ELCAC the announcement that recruiting remains ongoing is very concerning. The AFP has said the NPA is leaderless and cannot engage in recruitment. Apparently that is not true. Who can be trusted?
In Mindanao the war rages on against ISIS remnants.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1252741 |
Military authorities here reported Monday the killing of two suspected local terrorists, believed to be behind recent atrocities against civilians and soldiers in Maguindanao del Sur.
The two slain terrorists were identified as Dawlah Islamiya (DI)-Hassan Group members Tahir Salim Suweb, 41, from Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte; and Benladin Adi Kamid, 23, from Guindulungan, Maguindanao del Sur.
They were linked to the hold-up and killing of three vendors of hybrid goats in Shariff Saydona Mustapha. The bodies of the victims were found in a shallow grave May 30. Their sales, personal belongings, mobile phones and van were missing and have not been found since.
The suspects were also connected to the killing of four soldiers who were marketing in Datu Hofer Ampatuan on May 17, 2024.
Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, said the two arrested suspects, Junjun Kayogen Leosen, 37, of Datu Saudi Ampatuan; and Rasul Mendoza Kariman, 31, of Guindulungan were injured in the clash and received medical intervention from the military.
Catu said the Army responded to residents’ reports of the presence of gun-toting individuals in Barangay Libutan, Mamasapano, at about 1 a.m. Sunday.
“They were planning to launch bombing sorties in civilian areas,” Catu said, citing intelligence information.
Following the firefight, soldiers discovered two M16 rifles, a .45-caliber pistol, bomb-making materials, a fully assembled improvised explosive device, mobile phones, and other personal items, including various identification cards.
That is one bombing foiled but how many more are being planned?
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