CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City – Nine (9) CPP NPA Terrorists (CNTs) were dead, and eight (8) firearms captured after 4ID sustained its military offensives against the communist terrorist group (CTG) in the hinterlands of Brgy. Can-ayan, Brgy. Kibalabag, Brgy. Kulaman, and Brgy. Mapulo all of Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province, early dawn of Christmas Day, December 25, 2023.
Acting on the information provided by the residents on the presence of the CNTs in their communities, 403rd Brigade under Brigadier General Michele B. Anayron Jr launched a joint operation through its operationally controlled units, the 8th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Anthony A Bacus; the 1st Special Forces Battalion led by Lt. Col. Roger Anthony Nuylan Jr, and the 88th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Eric G Dema-ala.
With the reported bulk of enemy believed to be members of the combined group of terrorist criminals under the leadership and components of the so-called Sub-Regional Committee-2 (SRC2), Headquarters Loader and Regional Sentro De Gravidad (RSDG) Compaq all of North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, and the possible landmines laid in the area, assault ground forces requested for Close Air Support (CAS) from the Tactical Operations Group 10 (TOG10) of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and artillery fire support from the 4th and 10th Field Artillery Battalion.
“We utilized close air support and artillery howitzers mainly to preserve our forces and prevent or minimize casualty from our troops from the initial armed encounter of land forces. we ensured also the communities were not put in danger and no properties were damage or destroyed during the operations,” BGen Anayron Jr said.
Said joint operations resulted in the death of nine CNTs composed of three females and Six males, who are yet to be identified, while four (4) M16 Rifles, one (1) M16 attached with M203 Grenade Launcher, one (1) 12-Gauge Shotgun, one (1) Caliber .45 Pistol, and one (1) Hand Grenade were seized from the encounter site during the initial scouring. We are expecting more recoveries after the terrorist NPAs scampered in different directions to escape from the effective attack.
In his statement, 4ID Commander Major General Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II said that military operations will continue relentlessly until the remaining CTG will be inconsequential and their capabilities diminished to lowest level. He also added that despite the CPP’s declaration of the 2-day Unilateral Ceasefire, 4ID is more than focused to comply with the directive of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to keep the communities safe and end the communist armed conflict.
“The joint operations that we launched in Bukidnon were carried out with precision and adherence to the protocols to ensure the safety of the innocent civilians. This is our strong response to the wishes of our people to free them from the continues threats of the NPA criminals. We will not rest, we will continue to hunt the CNTs anywhere, anytime. What they can do now and the option left for them is to lay down their firearms. This victory is a significant step in our mission to finally put an end to this decades-long insurgency problem in Northern Mindanao and Caraga region,” Maj. Gen. Cuerpo II added.
