ILOILO CITY – Philippine Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete awarded two soldiers wounded in recent encounters with suspected communist rebels in Negros Island. The two soldiers from the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) were conferred the Military Merit Medal while recuperating in...
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Romeo S. Brawner Jr. visited front-line troops in Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 2, and urged them to sustain the military’s gains after recent operations against communist rebels as two soldiers who were injured during separate...
The Philippine Army (PA) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) conducted their first combined live-fire exercise during Exercise Salaknib 2026 at the lahar fields of Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac, it was revealed on Sunday, May 3. The PA said the exercise, held from May...
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) disputed the military’s account of the April 19 operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, saying only a small number of those killed were its fighters while the rest were civilians. In a statement, CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said only...
The Philippine Army (PA) said on Monday, April 27, that it is open to any investigation into its deadly encounter with the New People 's Army (NPA) in Toboso, Negros Occidental last week where 19 individuals were killed. PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala brushed off claims that some of the...
Two American nationals were allegedly among the 19 people killed in an armed encounter between the Philippine Army (PA) and New People’s Army (NPA) in Toboso, Negros Occidental last week, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Saturday, April 25....
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) pushed back on claims circulating online that some, if not all, of the 19 suspected communist rebels who died in clashes with soldiers in Negros Occidental on April 19, were innocent civilians. For Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie G. Dema-ala, the...
The Philippine Army (PA) will sustain its campaign against communist insurgents despite a series of deadly encounters in Negros Occidental that left 19 alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members dead, its chief said Monday, April 20. Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarette, PA commanding general, mourned the...
Nineteen suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a series of encounters with government troops in Toboso, Negros Occidental, the Philippine Army (PA) confirmed on Monday, April 20. The clashes involved troops from the 79th Infantry (Masaligan) Battalion under the 303rd...
BARRACKS AND STRATEGY In March 2026, the Philippine Army marked its 129th Founding Anniversary with a fellowship night at Ricarte Hall, where the Commanding General, Philippine Army (CGPA) delivered remarks that were both reflective and forward-leaning—honoring the institution’s living history...
The Philippine Army (PA) and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) agreed to step up joint training and explore defense technology cooperation following their latest high-level talks. Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, PA commanding general, and Gen. Arai Masayoshi, JGSDF chief of staff, held their...
An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebel killed after a string of fierce encounters with the Philippine Army (PA) across Samar Island was abandoned by his comrades, the Philippine Army (PA) confirmed Saturday, April 18. The 8th Infantry Division (8ID) said troops from the 46th Infantry Battalion...
