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CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City — A top leader of the outlawed New People's Army (NPA) and a member of the political bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was killed in a firefight with government forces in the hinter-lands of Agusan del Norte Wednesday afternoon.
Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, Jr., division chief of the army's Public Affairs Office here, identified the fatality as Myrna Sularte, also known as "Maria Malaya," secretary of the NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) that operates in the Caraga Region.
Garello said the armed encounter between the troops and the NPA regional brigade, led by Sularte, took place Wednesday in Barangay Pianing, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.
Brig. Gen. Arsenio Sadural, commander of the 901st Brigade, commended the troops.
"We have finally brought an end to the reign of terror in Caraga, led by Malaya, a notorious leader of the communist terrorist group (CTG) and one of the most wanted commanders of the New People's Army (NPA) in the country," he said.
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Sadural said that multiple criminal charges had been filed against Sularte, including rebellion, arson, robbery with double homicide, damage to property, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery in band, murder, multiple murder, and frus-trated murder.
"These charges arise from the numerous injustices and acts of terrorism she directed and perpetrated in the Caraga region," Sadural said.
A fugitive with a P5.6 million reward on her head, Sularte was the widow of the late Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, a prominent fig-ure in the New People's Army (NPA) National Operations Command (NOC), who was killed in October 2021 during an encounter with the army in Bukidnon.
Maj. Gen. Michelle Anayron, commanding general of the army's 4ID here, said that the remains of Sularte was recovered dur-ing clearing operations at the encounter site.
"It is unfortunate that Malaya has suffered the same tragic fate as her husband, Ka Oris, and their son, Vincent," Anayron said.
"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 inno-cent 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 re-maining members and the eventual end of the communist terrorist group in our area of responsibility."
He said that former rebels who surrendered to the military confirmed the identity of Sularte's body, the lone casualty in the gun battle on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported on the government side.
