A suspected ranking New People’s Army member was killed in an encounter with government troops in Baybay City, Leyte, the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division reported Wednesday.

The military identified the fatality as Erwin Murillo Maceda, also known as “Romnick,” who it said served as vice team leader of Island Committee Levox under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

The encounter occurred Tuesday afternoon in the hinterlands of Barangay Caridad.

According to the Army, troops responded to information from a resident about armed individuals allegedly collecting money and food from people in the community.

Soldiers encountered the group while verifying the report, triggering a firefight that lasted about five minutes.

Maceda was killed during the clash, while troops recovered an M16 rifle from the encounter site, the military said.

Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, alleged that Maceda and his group were involved in extortion, threats against residents and business owners, and attacks on government security installations in Leyte.

Almagro said the encounter disrupted an alleged attempt by the rebel group to regain a foothold in communities placed under stable peace and security conditions.

“The people of Leyte have endured years of fear, intimidation, and disruption caused by armed groups. We will not allow these conditions to return to communities that have worked hard to achieve peace. The government remains committed to protecting our people and preserving the gains of peace and development,” Almagro said.

Baybay was declared insurgency-free on 7 February 2025 after being placed under stable internal peace and security condition status.

Under government parameters, a locality may receive the designation if no NPA presence has been reported there for at least two years.

Almagro credited residents’ reports with helping troops respond before security threats escalated.

“The cooperation of our communities is critical. Their timely reporting allows government forces to respond before threats can escalate. We encourage our people to continue protecting the peace they have helped build,” he said.

The 8th Infantry Division called on remaining NPA members to surrender and avail themselves of government reintegration programs.

“For communities that have already achieved stable peace and security, the message is clear: peace must be protected, development must continue, and attempts to bring back violence will not be allowed to reverse the gains made by the people,” Almagro said.