ILOILO City – In September, 30 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were neutralized across Western and Central Visayas, the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army has reported.
Out of these, 16 were killed in clashes, 12 opted to surrender to the government, and two were captured.
The 3ID data also showed that encounters in Iloilo led to four rebel casualties, while conflicts in Bohol and Negros Island saw six fatalities each.
The military also secured 33 firearms during this period – 15 high-powered and 18 low-powered – along with five explosives. Negros topped the list with 19 firearm recoveries, whereas both Iloilo and Bohol contributed seven each.
Noteworthy among the neutralized suspected NPA members was Azucena Churesca Rivera, also identified as Rebecca Alifaro or “Jing”. She was the suspected secretary of the NPA’s Southern Front-Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.
Rivera and two other rebel suspects lost their lives in a skirmish against the 61st Infantry Battalion in Barangay Cagay, Leon, Iloilo on Sept. 29.
In Bohol, prominent rebel suspects like Kerlan “Ely” Fanagel, Ruben “Bogs” Nabas, and Nelson “Brando” Lumantas were among those neutralized in separate encounters on Sept. 7.
Alejo “Peter/Bravo” Delos Reyes, affiliated with the Sandatahang Yunit Propaganda, died in a firefight against the 47IB troops in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Sept. 21.
Major General Marion Sison, the 3ID commander, said the anti-insurgency campaign’s success was a concerted effort among the military, local governments, stakeholders, and the public of Western and Central Visayas.
“Our continued triumph against the NPA in the Visayas owes much to the unyielding support and vigilance of the local communities. They’ve supplied us with real-time, precise data regarding the rebels’ movements and operations,” said Sison./PN
