The recent deaths of two NPA leaders in combat has weakened the insurgency in Bukidon says the Army.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2250762/army-deaths-of-rebel-leaders-weaken-npa-forces-in-bukidnon |
Two key leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) were killed in separate clashes with government troops in Bukidnon, “further weakening” the forces of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the area, the military said.
Brig. Gen. Seigfred Tubalado, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, identified the fatalities as Edward Pantandon, alias “Wando” and Romeo Manpinsahan, alias “Kakoy” and “Yuman,” who were killed on June 20 and 21, respectively.
The first encounter between troops from the 1st Special Forces Battalion and NPA rebels erupted around 11 p.m. on June 20 in Sitio Tagiptip, Barangay Iba, Cabanglasan town.
The operation resulted in the death of Pantandon, team leader of Headquarters Force NEO under the NCMRC, and the seizure of an M16 rifle.
Government troops tracked the same group to Sitio Nalumosan, Barangay Silae, Malaybalay City.
At 11:30 a.m. on June 21, soldiers from the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) engaged in another clash that left Manpinsahan dead.
Troops also recovered two additional high-powered firearms, magazines, ammunition and personal belongings from the encounter site.
The operations formed part of intensified military efforts to dismantle the remaining armed units of communist rebels operating in Northern Mindanao, Tubalado said.He noted that the operations reflect the continued weakening of the NCMRC’s armed capability as government forces maintain pressure against remaining rebel units in the region.
Lieutenant Col. Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, said Manpinsahan’s death “is a definitive victory for peace, but more importantly, it is long-awaited justice served to the communities of Bukidnon.”
“For years, this notorious leader and his remnants exploited, threatened and victimized innocent civilians and local livelihoods across the province; today, those families can finally breathe easier knowing that accountability has been delivered,” Martinez told the Inquirer on Monday.
In a text message, Martinez said that troops from the 8IB, which is under the 403rd Infantry Brigade, launched a focused military operation after receiving information from concerned civilians.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, the NPA has not issued a statement on the incidents.
Maj. Gen. Marion Angcao, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, said the military remains committed to preventing the resurgence of communist insurgency activities and maintaining security in Bukidnon and neighboring provinces.
The bodies of the slain rebels were brought to a funeral parlor, while pursuit operations against remaining NPA leaders, including a certain alias “Ka Reda,” are ongoing.
Supporting units included personnel from the 8IB Battalion, 26th Infantry Battalion, 41st and 42nd Division Reconnaissance Companies, artillery units from the 4th and 7th Field Artillery Battalions, and intelligence elements of the 4th Infantry Division.
It is doubtful the NPA will admit this as a setback. It is likely new leadership has already been chosen to replace them.
The Caraga region has recently been declared insurgency-free and yet the Army "expects complete cessation of active communist rebel activities."
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1277811 |
The Philippine Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) expects complete cessation of active communist rebel activities within its Areas of Responsibility (AOR) following the recent declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) in Caraga Region.
4ID commander Maj. Gen. Marion Angcao said SIPS demonstrates an interagency mechanism to coordinate with communities that would yield remnants of the New People's Army (NPA) either through military operations or surrenders.
"Following the successful declaration of SIPS across the entire Caraga Region, we are determined to sustain the momentum of our peace efforts in Northern Mindanao," he said in an interview.
SIPS is an official designation conferred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to a municipality, province, or region, certifying that NPA operations have been neutralized to foster secure and progressive communities.
On June 18, Caraga Region, one of 4ID's AORs, was formally declared under SIPS.
On Sunday, June 21, troops from the 1st Special Forces Battalion and the 8th Infantry Battalion encountered NPA combatants in Bukidnon province, resulting in two rebel deaths.
In Sitio Tagiptip, Barangay Iba, Cabanglasan town, the slain rebel was identified as Edward Pantandon. In Sitio Nalumosan, Barangay Silae, Malaybalay City, a ranking NPA combatant identified as Romeo Manpinsahan (alias Kakoy), commanding officer of Headquarters Force NEO under the NPA's North Central Mindanao Command, was killed. Three high-powered firearms were also recovered.
Shouldn't "complete cessation of active communist rebel activities" be the criteria for an area being declared insurgency-free? Well, no because the AFP admits there will never be zero insurgents.
Año admitted insurgency cannot be totally eliminated, but he believes the issue may be brought down to a negligible point.
“While we may not be able to attain this zero insurgents, but at least reduced to an irrelevant number that will not cause concern for peace and order,” he said.
“They will become isolated and just become bandits, because of lost ideology and non-support from the people,” he projected.
https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2023/09/insurgency-communist-insurgency-to-end.html
But, then again:
“Insurgency-free”, according to Luga, means that they have received no more reports of armed men in the province.
https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/09/martial-law-insurgent-free.html
In the very same city where the AFP neutralized NPA commander Kakoy they also killed a Lumad woman they mistook for an NPA rebel.
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| https://www.bulatlat.com/2026/06/20/mistaken-as-npa-soldiers-kill-lumad-woman-in-bukidnon/ |
Indigenous people’s organizations denounced the killing of a Lumad woman after the military admittedly mistook her and her husband as members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay Saint Peter, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, on June 15.
The slain victim was identified as Nenita Buscada. Her husband was reportedly wounded and currently recuperating in a hospital.
For a network of Indigenous women’s organizations, the incident was not a simple mistake or misencounter but a violation of the rights of civilians amid armed conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL).
“The apology of Lt. Col. Arnold Bautista, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 88th Infantry Battalion, was not enough. These words were pointless in front of a life that was taken, families bereaved, and communities victimized by militarization,” Kim Falyao, national coordinator of Bai Indigenous Women’s Network, said in a statement in Filipino.
Bautista said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Malaybalay that soldiers at a military detachment in the area went down as part of their relieving assignment when they faced the couple. He claimed that the soldiers saw a pistol belonging to one of them and they opened fire.
The military official who said that they have a goal to end the insurgency in the area in June 2026 stressed that some of the troops involved were victims of an NPA ambush in the same area in 2024 where soldiers got killed.
A netizen who introduced herself as Buscada’s relative commented in the same interview posted on Facebook and called for justice, saying that the couple reportedly went to the forested area just to gather wood and sell them to buy school supplies for their children.
Bulatlat reached out to the supposed relative on June 18 but there was no response as of this writing.
Datu Janjan Lailay, Buscada’s relative, told XFM Bukidnon in an interview that the initial discussion was about forwarding the case under their Tribal Justice System since the incident took place within their ancestral land. He ensured that there would be a dialogue to achieve justice.
Lailay said that Buscada was an active participant in the counterinsurgency program and helped organize women in their community. He added that the victim’s sons are members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU), an auxiliary force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The Bai Indigenous Women’s Network said that the demand for justice does not end with the military’s apology.
The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology Indigenous People Student Advocates (MIPSA) called for an immediate, transparent, impartial, and independent investigation into the killing, adding that it should not be controlled solely by the AFP.
“We also call for the immediate protection of the victim’s family and community from intimidation, harassment, or pressure while the investigation is ongoing,” MIPSA said in a statement.
The Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu), an alliance of Indigenous people’s organizations, said that the military should be held accountable for reckless shooting at civilians.
The list also includes websites of progressive groups and independent media such as Bulatlat.“They have established a pervasive online presence through their websites that they continually use to publish propaganda and misinformation campaigns in order to malign the Philippine government, recruit new members, and to solicit funds from local and international sources,” Esperon said in his letter to Cordoba.“In this regard, may we request the NTC to issue legal instruments to order Philippine internet service providers to block access to the following websites affiliated to and are supporting these terrorist and terrorist organizations,” he added.
The list also includes websites of progressive groups and independent media such as Bulatlat, which said that the move “sets a dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines.”
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| https://www.dailyguardian.com.ph/blog/npa-claims-killing-of-alleged-negros-military-asset |
The New People’s Army claimed responsibility for the June 16 killing of a 54-year-old man alleged to be a military asset in Negros Occidental.
The Leonardo Panaligan Command, in a statement, said it killed the man identified only as Henry.
According to a police report citing a village chief’s statement, the barangay official learned of the incident shortly after it happened and urged the victim’s family to report it to police for investigation.
The family refused, citing safety concerns, and instead immediately buried the victim’s remains after the incident.
The barangay official told police the killing happened in Sitio Carnawan, Barangay Amontay, Binalbagan, not in Barangay Makilignit, Isabela, as initially reported.
He said a river serves as the boundary between Barangay Makilignit and Barangay Amontay.
The Isabela Municipal Police Station relayed the information it gathered to the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station.
Binalbagan police, however, said they have yet to confirm whether the killing happened within their jurisdiction.
The Leonardo Panaligan Command, through spokesperson JB Regalado, said Henry had previously surrendered to its revolutionary court but later allegedly became involved in crimes.
The group warned that those who continue to commit crimes would face punishment.
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has waged a decadeslong insurgency against the government.
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