Army gains vs Eastern Visayas insurgents

The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division reported Wednesday that it has intensified operations against the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC), leading to significant gains in Northern Samar and Leyte over the past week.

Troops from the 803rd Infantry (Peacemakers) Brigade engaged Communist-NPA-Terrorist (CNT) elements on 29 November in Barangay Nipa, Palapag, Northern Samar.

Acting on reports that CNTs were coercing local farmers to surrender portions of their crops, government forces launched an assault on a fortified enemy hideout, which was rigged with anti-personnel mines.

The operation, supported by precision fire, resulted in the neutralization of one CNT combatant and the recovery of five high-powered firearms, including three M16 rifles and two M14 rifles, along with other war materiel.

Following the initial encounter, the 78th Infantry “Warrior” Battalion pursued the fleeing CNTs, resulting in a second fatality and the seizure of an additional .45-caliber pistol in two successive skirmishes.

In a related development, the 93rd Infantry (Bantay Kapayapaan) Battalion reported the voluntary surrender of six CNT members in Leyte, including one high-value individual.

Three of the guerillas — Remegio Narbonita, alias “Alon,” Rocelo Corea, alias “Rod,” and Rosendo Orca, alias “Sendo” — were identified as members of Squad 2, Island Committee LEVOX of the EVRPC, operating near the Leyte Geothermal Reservation. Corea and Orca surrendered with their .45-caliber pistols.

Alias “Alon,” a former commanding officer of Front 41, confirmed that EVRPC operations have been severely disrupted, citing dwindling support from communities previously regarded as strongholds.

He claimed the EVRPC’s mobility is restricted and that former “mass bases” are now rejecting their presence due to repeated extortion, intimidation, and failed ideological promises.

The Army said the surrender came after a series of defeats, including an encounter on 17 November in Jaro, Leyte, that killed three of their comrades, including squad leader Fidel Lagado.

Lt. Col. Celeste Frank Sayson, commanding officer of the 93rd Infantry Battalion, said the three NPA combatants told him they surrendered after appeals from their families to come home and celebrate the Christmas season peacefully.

Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade, welcomed the surrender as a “timely step toward rebuilding their lives,” and urged remaining NPA members to abandon violence.