NINETEEN members from the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), were killed in a successful anti-terrorist operation launched by the Philippine Army in the hinterlands of Eastern Samar last August 16, 2021.
Major General Pio Diñoso, commander, 8TH Infantry Division, said the command launched the operation after confirming intelligence reports provided by the local population that the NPA had a huge terrorist camp situated in the remote village of Osmeña, Dolores town.
The initial clash claimed the lives of 16 terrorists, four of them women, while the bodies of 3 others were discovered by the operating units during clearing operations.
“The recovery of several firearms means that many (more NPA) fighters were wounded as they abandoned their firearms to flee from our troops.
“This will further weaken the NPA organization in Samar Island,” Diñoso said in a virtual press briefing afterwards.
The official further noted that the operation was the biggest mounted thus far by government in the past two years and described the result as a “big blow” to the local communist terrorist group (CTG).
Diñoso also said they suffered no casualty as he authorized the use of air assets during the operation after being informed that the terrorists have planted anti-personnel mines in the perimeter of their camp.
The firefight, he added, lasted nearly 13 hours, from 4 a.m. until 5 p.m. as the CTG vainly tried to defend their base located some 3 kilometers from the nearest population center and about 185 kilometers northeast of Tacloban City, the provincial capital.
“Maybe the NPA stayed as they fought to protect their leader. They kept coming back to the encampment probably to secure their laptops and other sensitive materials,” he added.
Diñoso described the camp as a “big encampment,” which was being used by the terrorists for several months already. It has a multi-purpose hall for training and a bomb-making facility.
Diñoso said there were about 50 CTGs in the camp when the Army offensive started, adding they are “remnants” of other CTG units who were forced to leave their havens in other parts of Samar Island due to the intensified focus military operations they have conducted since last year.
The following day, August 17, 2021, the regional task force on ending local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) held a meeting to discuss ways on how to provide decent burials to the slain terrorists, to extend assistance to their families, and help the affected community.
Diñoso expressed optimism that more NPA members in Samar would surrender after the incident as they would realize that the government has all the resources needed to dismantle the communist terrorist group.
“If they won’t choose the path of peace, they will face the same plight. This is to show that the Philippine Army is strong and has the capability to end this armed conflict,” Diñoso told the media.
In a related report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) three days after the incident, Dolores municipal mayor, Shonny Niño Carpeso, called on his constituents to help put an end to CTG violence in their locality.
“The successful operation of the military is of big help to our town, making our people more alert and conscious on (the) movement of these communist groups and ensure (the) safety of communities,” Carpeso said.
“These illegal acts of (the) NPA should be stopped to attain peace and order that we have been aiming for our town and for our country,” he added. Dolores is a third-class municipality in the province.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, also lauded the military and the villagers of Dolores who provided the information about the existence of the CTG camp in Bgy. Osmeña.
“Had it not (been) for the close cooperation between the military and the local population, the campaign against the communists would not have been successful.
“I hope that this kind of close collaboration will continue so that we can attain peace and development in our province and country,” Evardone, himself a former activist, said in a separate statement.