Army kills 20 top Red leaders in Surigao

SOLDIERS of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division are now gaining ground on its drive to wipe out insurgents in the Surigao provinces after they killed at least twenty high-ranking communist rebels operating in the North Eastern Mindanao, an army official said yesterday.

Camp Evangelista officials said even the seizure of the two laptops and overhead projectors after the encounters provided them with huge information like the criminal activities of the communist rebels.

“NPA rebels from Andap Valley, a rebel stronghold in Surigao del Sur are believed to have been wiped out,” said Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas.

He said the five-day armed clash between the rebel forces and the 36th Infantry Battalion of the 401st Infantry Brigade was in response to reports from residents of a large consolidation of NPA commanders threatening their ancestral community.

Pueblas said the laptops seized were believed to be owned and used by two top NPA rebels, Myrna Sularte “Malaya,” the secretary of NEMRC, and Alvin Loque aka “Joaquin Jacinto,” the spokesman of National Democratic Front Komisyon Mindanao.

“An undetermined number of rebels were either killed or severely wounded as indicated by the bloodstains along the enemy’s route of withdrawal,” said Pueblas.

Pueblas said the rebels’ consolidation in Andap Valley is postured to conduct atrocities during the distribution of relief goods and social amelioration programs of the government to ease the people’s suffering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the volume of items recovered including personal belongings, food supplies, war materiel, and electronic equipment are material evidence of the impending terror plot by the communist rebels.

Seized laptops also revealing the consolidation at Andap Valley was in a planning session participated by prominent communist leaders of the Caraga region.

Pueblas said other top NPA rebels excluding Sularte and Loque tagged as
wanted terrorists and a number of their cohorts were believed to have been killed, as heavy blood stains are scattered along the rebels’ direction of withdrawal.

According to him, others were Edilberto Daval “Bong Waco,” commander of regional operations command, NEMRC; Felizardo Valdez “Adu” or “Jing,” secretary of sub-regional committee southland and also acted as the spokesperson of NEMRC; Julieta Tawide Gomez “Tina,” secretary of the regional white area committee, NEMRC; Rolando Leyson, secretary of sub-regional committee-16 and also acted as CO of Hini-usang Command, NEMRC.

Others were Judel Virtudazo “Janjalani,” CO of regional sentro-de-gravidad, NEMRC; Imelda Rambuyod “Sandara Sidlakan” or “Aloy” or “Kubing,” the 1st deputy secretary and spokesperson of SRC Westland; Adonis Maglasang “Do,” the Head Organizing Department/Pers of NEMRC; 10) Marcelino Navarro aka “Marsing,” the head propaganda of NEMRC; “Tarzan,” the head ordnance of NEMRC.

Also included were Pablo Logatiman “Lucas,” 1st deputy secretary of SRC-16, NEMRC; a certain aka “Del,” CO of sub-regional sentro-de-gravidad, SRC Westland, NEMRC; “Rodel,” secretary of Guerilla Front-21, NEMRC; “Jared” or “Wolf,” ordnance staff of SDG-16, GF-16, NEMRC;

Vergie Valdez “Dalay,” finance officer of GF-19, NEMRC; Leonida Sanchez “Susay,” staff of GF-19, NEMRC; Elizabeth Monter “Amihan,” political officer and acted as spokesperson of GF-19, NEMRC; Alfie Masinatao Bada “Momoy,” the vice commanding officer of regional headquarters, NEMRC; and Lorna Pamutongan Gomez “Momay” or “Danah,” the medical staff of RHQ, NEMRC.

4ID Chief Maj. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal who also expressed confidence in the impending decimation of NEMRC, also said NPA rebels were wrong to consider the Andap Valley complex a haven.

“Considering the losses suffered by these terrorists, the collapse of NEMRC is imminent,” Gacal said.

Gacal said the government has offered its peace through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

“Those who are still surviving should take advantage of this before it’s too late. Don’t be insistent on your wrongdoing. Grab the chance to change and truly contribute to nation-building,” Gacal said. (Ben Balce)