TALAKAG, Bukidnon (PIA)—Four high-ranking communist rebel commanders were killed in a bloody gunfight with the 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn) troopers under Task Force Peacemaker of the 403rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army (403Bde, 4ID, PA).
Major General Wilbur C. Mamawag, 4ID Commander, said the New People’s Army (NPA) leaders—with around 30 armed comrades—were in a rugged forest in Sitio KM 24, Tikalaan of Talakag town, along Bukidnon-Lanao del Sur border, when a fierce firefight ensued at 5:30 p.m, April 6.
Dead of bullet wounds were high-ranked leaders Carlisio Sumalinog, Jovilito Pontillas, Gary Juliana, and Jelly Sugnot. Their bodies were found at the scene of the sundown gunfight that lasted one hour and 50 minutes. All soldiers were unhurt, the 4ID Commander said.
Reports said the NPA fighters guarding their four commanders fled the combat zone during the clash.
Recovered on the battlefield with the four cadavers were 16 high-powered firearms consisting of seven M16 rifles; One M203 Grenade Launcher; Two R4 Carbine rifles; One M653 rifle; Three M1 Garand rifles; One AK47 rifle; and one M14 rifle. Troops also recovered rounds of ammunition, medicines, bandoliers, and backpacks.
In a statement, 4ID Commander MGen. Mamawag lauded the troops for pressing the fight that spurred the government’s goal of defeating the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) to end the local communist armed conflict before President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends.
He said this triumph is a result of the government’s convergence efforts through the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), which somehow emboldened townsfolk to report to authorities the NPA terrorists who inflict fear while rushing their extortion activities, especially in remote villages.
“It should be remembered that the recently neutralized top CTG leaders George Madlos, Pedro Codaste, Loida Magpatok, and Ramil Banawan in Bukidnon faced the same fate, which resulted in a series of NPA rebels’ surrender and the government troops’ successful encounters,” MGen. Mamawag said. (FPGarello/DPAO, 4ID, PA/PIA 10-Bukidnon)