CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division (ID) confirmed on Tuesday, December 26, that 10 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have been killed in the Christmas Day encounter with soldiers in Sitio Kiito, Barangay Can-ayan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
MAJOR Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II (center), 4th Infantry Division commander; 403rd Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr. (left), and 8th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Anthony Bacus (right) answer questions from the media during a press conference at the 4th ID headquarters in Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City on December 26. (Franck Dick Rosete)
Major Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 4th ID commander, said they were informed about the additional casualties on Tuesday after operating forces found another body in the encounter site. He said they are still in the process of identifying the slain rebels who were about 30- to 40-years-old.
With the number of casualties, Cuerpo said that they are prepared for possible retaliation and instructed combat unit commanders to always be vigilant and not lower their guard amid the holiday season.
“The recent operation is a statement that our soldiers ensured that they were not sleeping on their posts. They are guarding, and they are ready to answer any incidents that would happen in our area of operations,” Cuerpo said in a press conference on Tuesday.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) declared a two-day unilateral ceasefire on December 25 for its 55th anniversary on Tuesday. But Cuerpo said troops continued their activities as no truce was declared on their part as no instructions were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters.
Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., 403rd Brigade commander, added that prior to the CPP ceasefire declaration, the plan to attack had already been in place as there have been threats that communist guerillas would allegedly burn equipment in an ongoing road construction from Malaybalay City proper passing through to Barangay Can-ayan.
“(It’s) very obvious that if they succeed, it will become part of their highlights in celebrating their 55th CPP anniversary. That’s what we wanted to avoid, and we avoided it,” Anayron said.
Cuerpo assured that there were no major celebrations conducted by the NPA in Bukidnon in line with the CPP anniversary, including other areas of operations such as the Caraga region.
Last November, the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political wing of the CPP-NPA, agreed to a “principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict and end to the armed struggle” but Cuerpo said they are continuing their operations despite this.
Based on firearms confiscated, Anayron said the 10 NPA casualties were from Sub-Regional Committee 2 and Headquarters Loader, both from the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.
Lt. Col. Anthony Bacus, commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Battalion, said government troops sustained no casualties. No residents were displaced as the encounter site was a forested area. He also said that operating troops are continuing the extraction of bodies.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines have designated the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.
The National Democratic Front was formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021 for being "an integral and inseparable part" of the CPP-NPA established in April 1973.