Insurgency: CPP Honors Top Female NPA Leader

The NPA was out demanding food, supplies, and money which prompted a military response. Two military responses. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1284946

Reports from residents about armed men allegedly demanding food supplies and money prompted a rapid military response in San Jose de Buan, Samar, resulting in two separate encounters between the Philippine Army and communist rebels, the military said on Monday.

According to the 801st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID), troops launched focused military operations on Sunday after receiving information about the presence of armed individuals in the area.

The military has yet to provide details on casualties or other results of the two encounters.

Army 801st Infantry Brigade acting commander Col. Marlo Jomalesa credited the vigilance and cooperation of residents for helping government forces respond quickly.

“The information shared by our community partner proved vital in this operation. It allowed our troops to respond swiftly and decisively,” Jomalesa said in the military report.

He said the incident demonstrated the importance of coordination between security forces and communities in addressing threats to public safety.

The 8ID said focused military operations would continue against New People’s Army (NPA) remnants in Samar. Residents in affected communities were advised to remain in their areas when possible and avoid unnecessary movement to reduce the risk of being caught in crossfire while military operations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, San Jose de Buan Mayor Christal Jean Elizalde appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with authorities amid the security operation.

In an official statement, Elizalde said the municipal government is coordinating with the Army and local officials to help maintain peace and protect residents.

“I urge residents, particularly those in affected barangays, to follow safety precautions and avoid areas where security operations are being conducted,” she said.

The mayor also encouraged barangay officials and residents to report the presence or movement of armed groups to authorities.

The Army also renewed its appeal to remaining members of armed groups to lay down their weapons and return to their communities. It said qualified individuals who surrender may receive assistance under the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, including financial, livelihood and reintegration support.

San Jose de Buan, a fourth-class municipality with a population of nearly 8,000, is one of the NPA’s strongholds in Samar Island, considering its strategic location within the tri-boundaries of Northern, Eastern, and Samar provinces.

The number of remaining rebels in the area is not stated. Yet, the area "is one of the NPA’s strongholds in Samar Island." What does that even mean in light of the NPA being strategically defeated according to the AFP?

In Escalante City the CAFGU engaged the NPA. That firefight ended in one CAFGU member killed and two soldiers wounded.  

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/30/militiaman-killed-2-soldiers-wounded-in-escalante-city-gunfight

A member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit was killed and two soldiers were wounded in a clash with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Bautista, Barangay Malasibog, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

First Lt. Paulo Lagarde, civil military officer of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), said troops were conducting Mobile Community Support and Sustainment Program (MCSSP) and house visitations when the 10-minute gun battle occurred.

Lagarde said the CAFGU was wounded and declared dead in a hospital. Two soldiers with the rank of private first class and sergeant were wounded and recuperating in a hospital here.

Thirteen families composed of 41 individuals evacuated on Wednesday, Sept. 30, due to fear despite the area being cleared by authorities.

Lagarde said the NPA rebels were believed to be remnants of the dismantled North Negros Front (NNF)-D, who were part of the group which the 79th IB engaged in Toboso, Negros Occidental last April where wanted NPA hitman Roger Fabillar was killed.

The 3rd Infantry Division (ID), in a statement, said the incident underscored that even fragmented armed groups remain capable of violence, reinforcing the need for sustained security efforts to deny them opportunities to regroup, regain influence in communities, or rebuild their capacity to threaten efforts to bring government support, security, and development closer to the people. 

It added that such acts will not deter government forces and their partners from addressing community concerns, protecting civilians, and safeguarding communities from intimidation and armed influence.

“This attack shows the stark contrast between those working with communities toward peace and development and those who continue to resort to violence,” Major Gen. Joey Escanillas, 3rd ID commander, said.

He added that the troops’ presence aims to help sustain the gains of the community and ensure that people can live without fear or intimidation. 

“Violence will not stop us from working with our partners to bring security, government services, and opportunities closer to the people,” he said.

Escanillas condoled with the family of the fatality and assured them of the Army’s support and commended wounded soldiers for their service and commitment. 

He assured the public that security operations in the area remain in place to protect civilians and prevent armed groups from regaining a foothold and urged people to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to authorities.

"The NPA rebels were believed to be remnants of the dismantled North Negros Front" which would seem to mean the group has not actually been dismantled. Again no estimate is given on how many "remnants" remain. Enough to kill one and wound two others. 

NPA arms caches continue to be found. One was found in Ifuago. 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/30/npa-arms-stash-discovered-in-ifugao

A New People’s Army arms cache was discovered in  Tinoc, Ifugao, on Monday, Sept. 28.

Police Brig. Gen. Noel Vallo, Police Regional Office-Cordillera chief, said they received information from  a former member of the disbanded Kilusang Larangang Guerilya-Ifugao that weapons were stored in the area.

Lawmen unearthed a claymore mine, hand grenades, rifle grenades, 40mm cartridges, commercial dynamite, detonating cord, ammunition, a bandolier, and personal belongings.

Vallo said the recovery demonstrates how former rebels can help protect their communities. 

He said that the former rebel's decision to trust the government eliminated potential threats to the residents of Tinoc. 

Vallo called on the public to continue cooperating with authorities and urged remaining members of the NPA to surrender their arms and assured them that the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) is ready to provide assistance.

Another was discovered in Cagayan. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2315577/police-recover-arms-cache-in-cagayan-forest

Police recovered an arms cache believed to have been hidden by communist rebels in a forested area of Baggao, Cagayan, on Thursday.

The Cagayan Provincial Police Office said a rebel returnee led authorities to the weapons cache in Sitio Tagang, Barangay Bunugan.

Police Maj. Abdel Aziz Maximo, commander of the 1st Cagayan Provincial Mobile Force Company, said the operation resulted in the recovery of an M1 Garand rifle, a Garand magazine and three M16 magazines, four 1.5-volt dry cells, two rounds of grenade rifle M76B HE, with bull trap, a 12.4-volt battery, 59 assorted bullets for short and long firearms, and anti-government documents.

Police Capt. Florentino Sibal, platoon leader, led the operations with Baggao police, Army soldiers and regional intelligence unit members.

The recovered weapons, ammunition and other materials were turned over to the Provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit (PECU) for documentation and safekeeping.

Both were found with the help of former rebels who continue to be a source of information about their old comrades. One wonders why those who have surrendered do not sketch out a map of alleged caches when they surrender.

The AFP fetes dead soldiers and the CPP fetes its own dead soldiers. One top leader recently received high praise from her comrades. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2314154/cpp-honors-top-female-npa-leader-slain-in-agusan-del-sur

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) bestowed its “highest honors” on a top-ranking New People’s Army (NPA) leader killed during fierce military encounters in Agusan del Sur recently.

In a tribute on Tuesday, the CPP Central Committee extolled Julia Cagadas-Lastimosa, 66, known as “Ka Rida,” as a “revolutionary hero.”

Cagadas-Lastimosa, who served as the secretary of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, died in combat in Barangay Bakingking, Esperanza, on September 12, alongside three other NPA rebels.

“For having dedicated their lives to the cause of national liberation and true democracy, they are all heroes of the Filipino people,” the CPP said in a statement. “Their names are now forever etched in the walls of the people’s pantheon.”

Military accounts indicate the four NPA members were killed after days of operations that began on September 10, following tips from concerned residents about the presence of armed groups. Troops from the 26th Infantry Battalion initially engaged the rebels near Palili Creek in Barangay Bakingking.

The clashes escalated two days later when the 1st Special Forces Battalion and blocking forces from the 8th Infantry Battalion intercepted the fleeing guerrillas. The running gun battles resulted in the deaths of the four rebels, while three others surrendered and yielded their firearms.

The military credited the successful operations to community cooperation, noting the offensive prevented the armed group from re-establishing a stronghold in the region.

Before joining the NPA, Cagadas-Lastimosa was a leftist organizer involving the youth, workers, urban poor communities, and farmers.

“The sacrifice of Ka Rida and other revolutionary fighters will only strengthen the resolve of the Filipino people to wage a just war in defense of their land and the country’s patrimony, and to attain their aspiration for genuine national freedom and democracy,” the CPP statement read.

A native of Barangay Bugo in Cagayan de Oro City, Cagadas-Lastimosa joined the revolutionary movement in 1979 at age 19. 

She was imprisoned twice — notably escaping in 1989 by swimming across the Cagayan River — before being elected to the CPP’s Central Committee in 2016 and elevated to its Political Bureau in 2024.

Following the encounters, the military transported the bodies to a funeral home in Esperanza before releasing them to their families. 

After a wake in Barangay Bugo here, Cagadas-Lastimosa was laid to rest on September 21 at the Tagoloan Catholic Cemetery.

The AFP has claimed the NPA has no leadership yet here is leadership exhibiting itself quite clearly. 

On the southern front in Mindanao the SAF is keeping a battalion in Maguindano to fight Islamic terrorists. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2313321/saf-keeps-battalion-in-maguindanao-sur-to-fight-extremists

The elite Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has retained a battalion, composed of 500 troops, in Maguindanao del Sur to help in the government’s drive to disband Islamic State-aligned groups sowing terror in the province.

Col. John Michael Mangahis, Maguindanao del Sur police provincial director, said Monday the PNP-SAF deployment will greatly enhance the provincial police command’s security operations across the province’s 24 municipalities, particularly in the lairs of the terrorists Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Dawlah Islamiyah (DI).

“With 500 elite troopers and light armor vehicle support, the SAF’s presence ensures rapid deployment and tactical superiority against lawless elements,” Mangahis said in a statement.

The SAF personnel were among the augmentation forces deployed to Maguindanao del Sur to help secure the historic Sept. 14 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

Mangahis stressed that SAF’s counter‑terrorism expertise provides a strong deterrent to threats, reinforcing stability in areas historically vulnerable to violence and disruption.

At least four municipalities in Maguindanao del Sur are known bailiwicks or areas of operation of the BIFF and DI, which the military designated as terrorist armed groups that repeatedly posed threats in the communities.

These are the contiguous towns of Shariff Aguak, Pagatin (Datu Saudi Ampatuan), Mamasapano, and Shariff Saydona Mustapha, or the so-called “SPMS box” in the military’s operational parlance.

Aside from the BIFF and DI, private armed groups that are engaged in rido (family feud) also pose threats to civilian communities.

Mangahis said the Maguindanao del Sur police provincial office and the SAF will jointly work to strengthen operational synergy against criminal groups in the area.

“This partnership enhances command and control, expands ground coverage, and ensures coordinated responses to emerging challenges,” Mangahis said.

He added that “by combining local knowledge with SAF’s tactical expertise, the joint effort maximizes efficiency in safeguarding communities, securing vital installations, and protecting borders from sabotage and other forms of destruction.”

Mangahis said keeping SAF forces in Maguindanao del Sur symbolizes the government’s “unwavering commitment to peace, order, and public safety.”

He noted that residents can be confident that proactive measures are in place to protect families, schools, and communities, fostering an environment where progress and development can thrive under the shield of security.

In January 2015, SAF commandos successfully killed Malaysian terrorist and bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, where the BIFF coddled him.

However, the SAF lost 44 troopers in the operation after clashing with the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in what was described as a “misencounter.”

At least 18 MILF members and several civilians were killed in the fierce gun battle.

In August 3 Maguindano del Sur town were declared insurgency free. With 24 municipalities that's only 21 more to go.