Northern Samar: The death of three members of the New People's Army (NPA) during a series of clashes on March 16 in Mapanas, Northern Samar is a big blow to the communist movement in Northern Samar province, considered the last bastion of insurgency in Eastern Visayas. Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, assistant chief of staff of the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division's Civil Military Operations, said two of the slain combatants have been identified, and the other one is believed to be a ranking leader of the armed group.
According to Philippines News Agency, the rebels were remnants of the NPA regional guerrilla unit and front committee 15, with only a few members scattered in Northern Samar. Lt. Col. Buban emphasized that the death of these three members would further diminish their strength. The two identified rebels were Ronnie Pajares, alias Badora, from Eastern Samar, and Edmon Oros, alias Dalisay, from Lapinig, Northern Samar. The identity of the third rebel remains unknown and is still in the process of thorough identification.
The initial clash, which claimed the life of a rebel, occurred around 6 a.m. Sunday in upland San Jose village in Mapanas town when troops encountered a band of rebels. Soldiers seized an M14 rifle, a banned anti-personnel mine, two blasting caps, and other personal belongings. Minutes after the first encounter, troopers engaged the same group attempting to evade government forces. The encounter killed another combatant and led to the recovery of an M16 rifle and assorted ammunition.
Hours after the second encounter, the blocking forces encountered the evading rebels. After the 10-minute firefight, soldiers recovered two backpacks. Before noon on the same day, another team of soldiers encountered the fleeing enemy, resulting in the death of another NPA member and the seizure of one M14 rifle, one M4 rifle, ammunition, and other war materiel.
Lt. Col. Buban mentioned that the encounter ensued after villagers provided information to the military about a group of armed men conducting extortion activities in their community, demonstrating that NPA members are not getting support from their previously influenced communities. As of end-February, only 119 armed NPA members remain in Eastern Visayas, with their numbers significantly dwindling between 2019 and 2024 due to focused military operations and interventions by member agencies of the task force to end local communist armed conflict.
