Alleged top NPA leader in Caraga killed in armed encounter, says military

An alleged top leader of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed in an armed encounter with troops in  the mountainous area of Sitio Tagulahi, Barangay Pianing, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, according to a statement issued by the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division Public Affairs Office.

The 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division identified the alleged NPA leader in Caraga as Myrna Sularte alias Maria Malaya.

"The 901st Infantry Brigade, through the 30th Infantry Battalion, executed a successful combat operation early this morning, decisively engaging a group led by Sularte, the Regional Headquarters of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC). The operation consisted of two encounters, culminating in the capture of numerous items and personal belongings. The final encounter in the afternoon led to the tragic death of Malaya," the statement read.

Sularte, the military said, was the widow of the late Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, a prominent figure in the NPA National Operations Command, who was killed in October 2021 during an encounter with government forces in Bukidnon.

Brigadier General Arsenio D.C. Sadural, Commander of the 901st Brigade, said Sularte was the "top leader and Secretary of the Communist Terrorist Groups' (CTGs) Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), as well as a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)."

He added that Sularte is facing multiple criminal charges, including rebellion, destructive arson, robbery with double homicide, damage to property, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery in band, murder, multiple murder, and frustrated murder.

"These charges arise from the numerous injustices and acts of terrorism she directed and perpetrated in the Caraga region,” Sadural also said.

In a statement, 4ID Commander Brig. Gen. Michele B Anayron Jr. said, “It is unfortunate that Malaya has suffered the same tragic fate as her husband, Ka Oris, and their son, Vincent. We have offered them the path of peace countless times, yet they have never listened or given us a chance. Instead, they continue to victimize innocent civilians and bring terror to our communities. We fervently hope that Malaya’s death will be the final straw, leading to the total surrender of the remaining members and the eventual end of the Communist Terrorist Group in our area of responsibility.” — BAP, GMA Integrated News