CEBU CITY — The remains of the female Bar passer who died along with four other members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in an encounter with government troops in Bilar, Bohol have been claimed by her  relatives.

The body of Hannah Jay Cesista was claimed by her father Eutropio Alegre Cesista on Saturday afternoon, February 24, in a funeral parlor in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The Cesistas are from Catubig, Northern Samar, the Visayas Command (Viscom) said.

Lt. Col. Israel Galorio, chief public information officer of Viscom, said with the elder Cesista showing up to claim the body, the identity of Hannah Jay has been confirmed.

Based on coordination with different intelligence units on the ground and revelation from former rebels, Viscom was able to confirm that the Hannah Jay Cesista who was among those who passed in the 2023 Bar and the Hannah Jay Cesista who died in the encounter was the same person, Galorio said.

The photo of Hannah Joy that Viscom shared to the media also came from a Facebook post of her close relative who congratulated her for passing the Bar, Galorio added.

With the death of Hannah Jay, Viscom branded the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA as “a menace and a predator who preys on young minds.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Hannah Jay. She could have been a good practicing lawyer if not for the deception of the CPP-NPA. We express our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. The CPP-NPA is indeed a menace and a mindless predator who preys on young minds in our country,” said Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of Viscom.

According to Viscom, Hannah Jay, alias Maya and Lean, studied her preparatory course for law at the University of the Philippines-Cebu. 

Hannah was an active member of Anakbayan-Cebu and later the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL). She became a full-time member of the CPP-NPA in 2023, Viscom said.

“May this serve as a lesson to our youth and the parents as well. Let us be very vigilant in the activities of our children and the groups or organizations that they joined. The threat of CPP-NPA’s destructive recruitment of our youth is real. The terrorist group cares for nothing and will value nothing, not even the welfare of their members. They will just use our children as a sacrificial lamb to foster their hideous agenda,” Arevalo added.

Arevalo encouraged the public to support the government’s call to stop the CPP-NPA’s recruitment of the youth.

“In our good conscience, we cannot allow the CPP-NPA’s destructive recruitment to our youth to continue. We must work together to put a stop to the lies and deception of the terrorist group that led to the destruction of the bright future of our children.”

The encounter that claimed the life of Hannah Jay happened early Friday morning, February 23, in Barangay Campagao.

Operatives from the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas and soldiers from Viscom tried to serve arrest warrants against a group of NPA rebels when the gunfight broke out.

Also killed in the encounter were Domingo Compoc, Parlito Segovia, Marlon Omosura, and a certain Juaning.

A policeman, Police Corporal Gilbert Amper, was also killed in the gunfight, which lasted for more than three hours.