The Focused Military Operations (FMOs) of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division (3ID) coupled with the purposive Civil Military Operations and the overwhelming support of the member-agencies of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) resulted in the neutralization of 142 Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) terrorists in 2021.

Around 71 of them surrendered, 49 died in encounters with government forces, 14 were apprehended, and eight were captured.

Twelve of the neutralized personalities are top leaders of the NPA terrorist organization. Notable among them were the death of the following high-ranking NPAs: Reynaldo Bocala alias Russ/Bading, chief, Regional Finance Bureau of Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay; Karima Lorena Tariman alias Ella/Emem, secretary, Northern Negros Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (NNF, KR-NCBS); Marilyn Badayos alias Monet, finance officer, NNF, KR-NCBS; and Joven Ceralvo alias Lex, commanding officer, Front Operational Command and Deputy Secretary of Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.

Major General Benedict Arevalo, 3ID commander, also attributed the said success to the vigilance and cooperation of Western and Central Visayas people, as well as the continuous collaboration with concerned government agencies under the mechanism of the NTF-ELCAC in the region.

He likewise commended all the Spearhead Troopers for their exemplary performance and contribution in winning the fight against the CPP-NPA Terrorists while urging them to maintain the gains of the Division’s peace drive guided by its campaign mantra “Loved by the people, feared by the enemy.”

The 3ID commander also reiterated his persistent reminder to the remaining NPA members to surrender.

“The government is always open to those rebels who would want to go back to the folds of the law, we urge them (NPA) to lay down their arms while they still have time,” Arevalo said./WDJ