Cagayan de Oro City — The commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division announced on Friday that the death of a widow leading the New People’s Army (NPA) National Operations Command (NOC) has triggered demoralization among communist guerrillas operating in Caraga and Northern Mindanao.

“Demoralization at its lowest level is now sweeping among NPA rebels,” said Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., Division Commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, during a press briefing at Camp Edilberto Evangelista in this city.

He said that, to counter this demoralization, massive indoctrination activities are now ongoing among the remaining guerrillas in their mountain encampments.

Myrna Sularte, also known as Maria Malaya, the top leader and secretary of the Communist Terrorist Group’s (CTG) Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was killed in a running gun battle in the hinterlands of Butuan City on Wednesday afternoon.

Malaya was also the spokesperson of the NPA rebels and regularly made statements over local radio stations in the region before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The encounter with government forces under the 901st Infantry Brigade took place in the hinterlands of Sitio Imelda, Barangay Pianing, Butuan City, and began at approximately 6:00 a.m., lasting until 1:20 p.m.

The rebels was chanced upon by army troops  about  6:10 AM  resulting to a running gunbattle  until 1 pm in the afternoon.

The firefight resulted in Maria Malaya’s death and the capture of various rebel belongings.

Maria Malaya was the widow of the late Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, a prominent figure in the NPA’s National Operations Command (NOC), who was killed in October 2021 in an encounter with government forces in Impasugong, Bukidnon. The late Ka Oris had a ₱5 million reward on his head.

A year later, the eldest son of the NPA couple, also a commander, was killed in a firefight with Army special forces in Barangay Capitan Bayong, Impasugong.

Maria Malaya operated in Caraga and Northern Mindanao, where she was allegedly responsible for numerous atrocities, including the killing of civilians, destruction of government projects, and other terrorist activities across Surigao and Agusan provinces. A native of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, she was one of the most wanted NPA leaders in the country.

She faced multiple criminal charges, including rebellion, murder, multiple murder, and frustrated murder, among others.