For the third week in a row the AFP has released an update and how many Reds and supporters have been neutralized since the beginning of the year. Last week it was 970. This week it is 1,045.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1282213 |
The government's campaign against communist insurgents is gaining momentum as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported neutralizing 1,045 New People's Army (NPA) rebels and their supporters during operations conducted from Jan. 1 to Aug. 13 this year.
Of the total, 935 surrendered, 38 were arrested, and 72 were killed in various military operations, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a media interview late Tuesday.
"A total of 661 firearms and 255 anti-personnel mines were either seized or surrendered, and 38 encampments were seized (in the same period)," she said.
Neutralized is a military term that refers to the surrender, capture, or killing of enemy troops.
"The numbers give us an indication of the operational situation, but we should look beyond the numbers. The more significant story is that 935 CTG (communist terrorist group) members and supporters chose to surrender," Padilla pointed out.
In 2025, the military said it neutralized around 2,018 NPA members and their supporters. The bulk of whom were surrenderers, at 1,798, while 93 were arrested and 127 were killed.
Around 1,134 firearms and 531 anti-personnel mines were either seized or surrendered, and 149 NPA encampments were captured.
As with each previous update, the numbers are not broken down. Not knowing exactly how many actually NPA rebels have been neutralized makes this data worthless. At last count there were only 780 actual NPA rebels left.
In Surigao Sur 3 former NPA rebels surrendered and yielded their arms.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1282220 |
Three former members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered on separate occasions, turning over firearms, ammunition, and war materiel to the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB), military officials reported Wednesday.
One former NPA combatant yielded to the 36IB on Monday in Barangay Bitaugan, San Miguel town, handing over an M1 Carbine rifle, a magazine, and 14 rounds of ammunition.
Over the weekend, two other former members of the NPA’s Militia ng Bayan surrendered in Barangay Awasian, Tandag City.
The pair turned over 557 assorted rounds of ammunition, five rifle grenades, 12 magazines, three intravenous (IV) fluid drip sets, and a hand-held radio.
“The series of surrenders is the result of sustained activities conducted by the Community Development Support Teams (CDSTs) of the Army in the province,” said 36IB commander Lt. Col. Joselito Ante Jr. in a statement.
Ante noted that CDSTs are working closely with government line agencies and local government units to protect and preserve the peace gains achieved in Surigao del Sur.
“The voluntary surrender also reflects the cooperation and trust of the people of Surigao del Sur in the government,” Ante added.
On June 18, Surigao del Sur and the rest of the Caraga Region were declared to be under Stable Internal Peace and Security, following the dismantling of guerrilla fronts and the collapse of the NPA’s North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, which the Philippine government designates as a terrorist organization.
Of course, they will now be able to avail of all the E-CLIP benefits such as free housing, job training, and money.
Since they are not from Negros they will not be able to avail of this new safe space.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1282273 |
Former communist rebels in Negros Occidental can now seek shelter at the “Balay Pagbag-o” for Peace and Reintegration, a halfway house built by the provincial government in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Located in Barangay Sta. Rosa in Murcia town just east of this city, the facility, which was inaugurated Tuesday afternoon, provides a safe and supportive space for individuals undergoing the process of peace and reintegration.
The development was welcomed by groups of former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) now advocating for peace and development.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Buklod Kapayapaan Federation, Inc. said the establishment of the halfway house is vital in fostering peace and reintegration.
“Returning to a peaceful life is not an end, but a new beginning – an opportunity for former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. In peace, there is a second chance. In reintegration, there is a new future,” it added.
Egan Dañoso, president of the Negros Island Region Federation of Peace Advocates, who was among the guests during the unveiling ceremony, said they are honored to be part of such an important event.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a part in and supported its establishment,” Dañoso said.
In his message, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the establishment of the halfway house shows the provincial government’s support not only for peace but also in giving hope, opportunity, and a second chance to those who have decided to return to the fold of the law and to a peaceful life.
“This is part of our support for the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP, which is part of the national government's peacebuilding and reintegration efforts. The halfway house we built is not just a building. This is a symbol of a second chance in life,” he added.
The “Balay Pagbag-o” will provide the beneficiaries with a temporary shelter or a secure place to stay while military or police units are processing their registration papers for the E-CLIP.
It will serve as a place for healing and recovery, or a space for peace-building, social healing, and deradicalization activities, and also extend support services to beneficiaries through access to initial medical evaluations, counseling, and preparation for civilian life.
“Within a few months, we will provide them with psychosocial interventions, livelihood trainings, and other activities to help them get back up and to build a better future,” Lacson said.
DILG - Negros Occidental Provincial Director Teodora Sumagaysay said that in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region, Negros Occidental is the first to establish a halfway house for former rebels.
“We hope this halfway house will stand as a lasting symbol of hope, second chances, and new beginnings,” she added.
The halfway house was proposed in 2023 with an estimated PHP15 million budget – PHP10 million from the provincial government and PHP5 million from the DILG.
"The establishment of the halfway house is vital in fostering peace and reintegration." Indeed. Every thing the NTF-ELCAC does is "vital in fostering peace and reintegration."
One NPA rebel in Negros Oriental was found dead after a clash with the Army.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2026/08/18/npa-rebel-found-dead-after-negros-oriental-clash |
A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was found dead, following an encounter with troops of the Army 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Calambia, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Monday, August 17.
The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) identified the fatality as Cristito Nilles Sr., alias Dagohoy, an alleged member of Squad 2 and acting secretary of Section Guerilla Unit 3 of the dismantled Central Negros 1 (CN1).
Based on a report from the 3ID released on Tuesday, August 18, the encounter broke out when military troopers were fired upon by NPA remnants while conducting security operations in response to reports of the group’s suspected armed elements in the area.
Nilles was reportedly wounded during a five-minute firefight and was reportedly abandoned by his comrades in Sitio Uyangan, Barangay Budlasan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
Military troopers recovered his remains during subsequent pursuit and clearing operations.
Government forces also recovered an M16 rifle, three long magazines, ammunition, and personal belongings from the encounter site.
Major General Joey Escanillas, 3ID commander, commended the troops and the community for their vigilance.
He continue to call on the remaining NPA rebels to abandon armed struggle, embrace peace, and return to their families, assuring them of government assistance.
Sadly, he will not be able to stay at the safe space house.
The Toboso-19 operation from April 19th, 2026 is not going away anytime soon. A new fact-finding mission says the military did not follow protocol.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2289264/fact-finding-mission-military-fired-indiscriminately-on-toboso-19 |
A fact-finding mission has flagged serious violations of the international humanitarian and human rights laws in the killing of the “Toboso 19” in Negros Occidental, saying the military could clearly see who was armed and who was not even as residents confirmed that nine of the fatalities in the alleged encounter on April 19 were civilians, not communist combatants.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers lawyer Julianne Agpalo said “the military were already in an advantageous position,” adding that some of them were on top of the hill overlooking the fishpond where the victims were, while another group of soldiers was near the fishpond.
The 44-page report of the National Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission (NFFSM) said the soldiers from the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) had a clear view of the scene and could distinguish between those who were armed and firing back, and those who were unarmed. Instead, they fired indiscriminately, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians, it added.
“In terms of the physical inspection of the fishpond area, it was a clear, open space. There was nowhere to hide and no cover for anyone being pursued by the military,” Agpalo said.
Matty Miguel, a spokesperson for Defend Negros, a group advocating for human rights and land reform, told the Inquirer, “It can also be seen that, from the military’s standpoint, they should have been able to distinguish who were civilians and who were not, given that they were already in a vantage point.”
Agpalo said that residents in Taboso town who were interviewed by the fact-finding mission “essentially proved what the families [of the victims] have been saying—that nine of the 19 were civilians” who were there to learn about farming.
In May, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. maintained that the Taboso 19 were all members of the New People’s Army (NPA). The NPA, on the other hand, said that while some of those killed were rebels, others were civilians and human rights advocates.
The mission report identified some of the dead civilians as RJ Nichole Ledesma, 30, a community journalist from Bacolod City; Alyssa Alano, 22, a University of the Philippines Diliman Student Council leader; Maureen Keil Santuyo, 24, a member of the National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates; and Errol Wendel, 24, a member of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura.Also killed were Lyle Prijoles, 40, of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines from San Francisco, California; and Kai Sorem, 26, from Seattle, Washington.
Miguel said that Santuyo and Wendel, whose body has yet to be returned to his family, worked as peasant organizers. They were the primary individuals helping the farmers with their land-related concerns in Hacienda Bedonia.
Miguel, who personally knew Santuyo, said she was always willing to go where she was needed most, particularly to support farmers and farm workers in marginalized communities in Negros.
“Knowing that someone so close to you willingly went there to understand the situation on the ground, only to be killed by state forces, is heartbreaking and infuriating,” she told the Inquirer.
The NFFSM, which was conducted in May, was composed of more than 100 participants from national, local and international organizations.
They interviewed residents and witnesses, visited the sites of the killings, examined physical evidence and documented the effects of military operations on civilian communities.
“The mission’s findings challenge the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other state agencies like the notorious NTF-Elcac [National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict] of their portrayal of the incident as a legitimate series of armed encounters,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, at a press conference.
The NFFSM report also cited alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, including the killing of individuals who may have been rendered hors de combat and the treatment of civilians during the military operation.
Hors de combat refers to combatants who are unable to fight because they are wounded, sick, captured or have surrendered.
The mission documented searches of at least 24 houses, the detention and interrogation of civilians at gunpoint, and the displacement of around 800 residents whose access to food and livelihood was disrupted.
“Alyssa Alano, was shot in the knee. She did not sustain a fatal wound but died due to the lack of medical treatment. She bled to death. Alyssa’s case indicates that the soldiers had the option not to kill the victims,” it said in its report.
The report also noted that the bodies of the victims brought to the funeral home showed severe burns, swelling and decomposition caused by neglect and prolonged exposure to extreme heat, with some of the bodies reportedly recovered from fishponds.
“This reflects a failure in the care and lawful handling of human remains, revealing unprofessional management by the military and police forces,” it said.
Karapatan, meanwhile, called for the immediate and proper identification of Wendel’s body so that it could be returned to his family.
“Every day, we pray that we can bring Errol home. Four months have passed, and we still don’t have our son. We just want to bring him home and give him the proper burial he deserves,” said his mother, Elizabeth Chen.
Among the mission’s recommendations were the filing of criminal and administrative charges against military personnel involved in the killings and their superiors; full access for the families and legal representatives of the victims to records of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and 79th IB, including mission orders, drone footage and after-operation reports.
Moreover, Karapatan called for the immediate withdrawal of the 79th IB from communities in Negros to facilitate investigations.
The report says: "had a clear view of the scene and could distinguish between those who were armed and firing back, and those who were unarmed. Instead, they fired indiscriminately, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians." That sounds reasonable enough but in such circumstances aren't soldiers supposed to assume everyone is a potential threat? And what were civilians doing mixing with the NPA? Learning about farming? They could have done that far from a known conflict zone. This is not the last we have heard from this incident.
