THE MILITARY has launched a massive, multi-brigade offensive to neutralize the final leadership remnants of the New People’s Army’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), following the recent death of a top regional commander.
Major General Michele Anayron, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, told reporters in a press briefing that the military is now focused on three high-ranking targets: regional secretary Julia Cagadas (alias Reda), an individual known as Kakoy from San Luis, Agusan del Sur, and an insurgent identified as Jakem.
In what Anayron described as a high-tempo operation, the military has “imported” and consolidated a massive force to scour the boundary of Agusan del Sur and Bukidnon:
- Two Brigades: The 403rd Infantry Brigade based in Malaybalay and another brigade from Butuan (402nd).
- Seven Battalions: A combined force consisting of the 23rd, 58th, 28th, 75th, 1st Special Forces, 8th, 88th, and 26th Infantry Battalions.
- Air Support: Blackhawk helicopters are being utilized to provide rapid 30-minute resupply runs to troops stationed in the rugged Pantaron Range, which would otherwise take days to reach on foot.
“You can see how persistent we are to finish the NCMRC,” Anayron said. “We have seven battalion commanders manning focused military operations. Our troops have spent their Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s, and even Chinese New Year in the Pantaron Range to ensure this mission is completed.”
The fall of “Tado”
The intensity of the operation follows the neutralization of Bonifacio Lutawan alias Tado, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command (ROC), on Feb. 15. Lutawan, a veteran insurgent since the 1990s, carried a P4,750,000 bounty and was considered the inspiration and forward security for regional secretary Reda.
Lt. Col. Jorge Jallorina, commander of the 8th Infantry Battalion, detailed the encounter in the forested terrain of Sitio Tacocon. After tracking a consolidated group of leaders since Feb. 1, troops engaged a five-man security detail.
Following two brief but intense firefights, soldiers discovered Lutawan’s body with two gunshot wounds to the chest.
The military assessed that the NCMRC is nearing total disintegration, with only an estimated 25 to 26 rebels remaining.
“We can say they are very weak now,” Anayron noted. “While we cannot be complacent due to their ‘recovery efforts,’ our local chief executives have already taken off with roadmaps and infrastructure projects. The potential for peace, especially in Bukidnon, is at an all-time high.”
The division commander credited the success to the support of the local government units, which allowed the military to sustain long-term operations in the hinterlands. Military officers noted that some sub-leaders have already sent “feelers” expressing their desire to surrender.
