ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Military identifies NPA leaders killed in Cadiz City

Military identifies NPA leaders killed in Cadiz City

Published Mar 9, 2025 12:48 pm

BACOLOD CITY – The military has identified the two New People’s Army leaders killed in an encounter in Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental on Saturday, March 8.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/8/2-npa-leaders-killed-in-cadiz-city-clash

The 79th Infantry Battalion said on Sunday, March 9, that the deaths of Hans Ponteras, mid-40s, alias Jojo, Lance, Teddy, and Mojo, and Marissa Pobresa, 23, alias Kim, Renz, and Mia, is a significant blow to the NPA network not only in the island of Negros but also throughout Western and Central Visayas.

DEAD NPA.jpg

TWO New People’s Army leaders were killed in an encounter with the military in Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental on Saturday, March 8. (Photo courtesy of 79th IB)

The military said Ponteras was an the acting regional front secretary and finance officer or head of the Regional Taxation Implementing Group of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor while Pobresa was a former member of Squad 1, Sentro de Grabidad platoon of the dismantled Central Negros (CN) 2, KR-NCBS, who was elevated as Ponteras’ primary staff, and the current regional communications officer.

1st Lt. Dan Carlo Samoza, 79th IB civil-military officer, said that Pobresa was recruited to the armed struggle when she was 16.

Ponteras was known among former cadres as a facilitator of various extortion and recruitment activities in the region and the author and signatory of different extortion letters and death notes distributed by the NPA  under the code name Armando Magbanua of the Apolonario Gatmaitan Command of Negros Island.

Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, 79th IB commander, said their neutralization signals their approaching decimation.

Recovered in the encounter were an M16 rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, grenade, five 40mm high-explosive grenades, a rifle grenade, a short magazine for M16 rifle, two magazines for.45 caliber pistol, and subversive documents which include extortion letters and documents of high intelligence value.

Calaoagan praised soldiers  for their unwavering commitment to securing the people of Negros Occidental.

“We, together with the people will remain equivocally steadfast in our mission to end local communist armed conflict and ensure a lasting peace and security in the entire Negros Island Region," he said.

Samoza said the encounter happened barely three weeks after an encounter in the area on Feb. 13 where a finance officer of the Northern Negros Front was wounded.

Ponteras has two arrest warrants for attempted murder.

He said the remains of the Pobresa have been claimed by her family while the Army is handling the body of  Ponteras. “After they were abandoned by their comrades, it is still the government troopers who will give them a decent burial,” he added.

The 79th IB urged remaining communist rebels to surrender and assured them access in government's reintegration and amnesty programs to enable them to return to mainstream society.

 

Related Tags

New People's Army Negros Occidental Encounter Cadiz City
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.