ILOILO CITY — At least 142 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Western Visayas and Central Visayas have been neutralized last year.
In a report, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) disclosed that 12 out of the 142 were top NPA leaders in Panay and Negros Islands.
Among the 12 top NPA leaders were Reynaldo Bocala, who was killed in a joint army and police operation in Iloilo province last May 2021. Bocala was the former deputy secretary of NPA’s Southern Front Committee for Panay Island, chief of the NPA’s regional operational department, and finance officer.
Other alleged NPA top leaders killed were Karima Lorena Tariman and Marilyn Badayos in Negros Island as well as Joven Ceralvo in Panay Island.
The 3ID also disclosed that some of the NPA leaders killed were among the 49 who died in clashes with government forces.
The last major operation was the December 2021 offensive attack by the army in Miag-ao town, Iloilo province. At least nine NPA rebels were killed.
Another 71 NPA rebels surrendered to authorities, 14 were apprehended, and then eight were captured.
Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 3ID commanding general, said the neutralization of NPA rebels was due to the strengthened civil military operations (CMO).
Another factor was the support of other government agencies and partners in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).