Davao City: The New Peoples Army’s (NPA) Guerilla Front (GF) 4A was crushed by the military after their top leaders were included among the ten members who were killed in a running gun battle on May 10-13, 2020, at the boundary of Nothern Mindanao and Caraga Region.
The four top NPA leaders were identified by a former rebel during a public display and identification in Gingoog City on May 13, 2020.
They were Ian Dela Rama alias “Gian,” the Front Secretary of GFC4A; Rio Amor Yuson alias “Lema,” a Finance Officer; Paquito Namatidong alias “Sangka,” leader of a Platoon; and Peter Mansaginda Pinakilid alias “Aloy” the Political Officer of GF4A.
Accordingly, an initial encounter transpired after combined elements from the units of the Joint Task Force Diamond under Eastern Mindanao Command responded to the information of a community on the consolidation of undetermined number of NPA members in the hinterland of Barangay Kamanikan, Gingoog City.
The sporadic exchange of fire, which lasted until the morning of May 13, 2020, led the troops to recover five M16, one AK47, one M14, one Carbine, explosives, communication gadgets, and devices. Voluminous documents with a high tactical value that includes a primer on Agrarian Revolution (AgRev), and Handbook on “How to Exploit the Lumads” were also recovered at the encounter site.
During the course of the pursuit, troops also found bloodstains along the NPA’s direction of withdrawal.
Further information recieved by the troops that another five NPAs died during the series of encounters and their lifeless bodies were laid hastily by their scampering members on a forested area.
In a separate instance, a M16 rifle and an AK47 were captured by the elements of the 71st Infantry Battalion (IB) after they were engaged in a brief firefight with the NPAs at Sitio Magnook, Brgy. Pagibiran, Mabini, Davao De Oro at 7:00 PM of May 11, 2020.
Meanwhile, another NPA member was killed and an AK47 rifle was captured during an encounter between the elements of the 36IB and another group of NPA in the morning of May 11, 2020, at Brgy. Cabangahan, Cantilan, Surigao Del Sur.
Since May 11, 2020, a total of 11 NPAs were already killed while several firearms were recovered during security operations.
Lt. Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr., Commander of Eastern Mindanao Command reiterated the Government’s call for the NPA to surrender.
“We do not want to kill our fellow Filipinos, but we have to protect our peace-loving communities. We are always open and true to our commitment to helping those who are willing to go back to the folds of the law,” he said.
“We call on our stakeholders to continuously support the government program and let us collectively address this armed conflict that is pulling us down for the past years,” he added.
