CPP KomMid’s ‘next in line’ now dead too

THE Mindanao Commission (KomMid) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), in charge of the remaining stronghold of the communist terrorist group in the country, continues to suffer major setbacks after another of its top leaders was killed in an encounter in Bukidnon last January 21, 2022.

Eastern Mindanao (Eastmincom) area commander, Lt. General Greg T. Almerol, quoting from the initial report from the 4^th Infantry Division, identified the fatality as Pedro Codaste, aka, ‘Gonyong/Serv,’ deputy secretary of KomMid.

Codaste, the military said, had just been appointed ‘acting KomMid chair, after the death of KomMid’s top leader, Menandro ‘Bok’ Villanueva, who was killed in Davao de Oro by government troops last January 5, 2022.

Lt. Colonel Neil Armstrong Batayola of the 16^th Infantry Battalion 402^nd Brigade, in a report to acting 4^th Infantry Division commander, B/Gen. Oliver T. Vesliño, said the encounter with Codaste’s group took place at Bgy. Kalabugao, Impasugong, Bukidnon. Aside from Codaste, also killed was another New People’s Army (NPA) fighter initially identified as ‘Ka Zandro.’

Batayola said the firefight took place after they responded to the information from local civilians on the presence of some 15-fully armed terrorists “committing atrocities” in the area.

Aside from the bodies of the Codaste and his companion, government troops also recovered one AK-47 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol, Batayola added.

The CPP, for its part, in a statement posted in its website last January 28, 2022, claimed Codaste was “abducted” and murdered “in cold blood” by the 4^th ID and was even “subjected to torture” before he was killed.

“According to initial reports, Ka Gonyong was detached from the NPA since August 2021 to convalesce from various ailments and was staying in a house somewhere in Bukidnon,” claimed CPP Information Officer Marco Valbuena.

The death of Codaste has now practically decimated the top leaders of the KomMid, making it a shell of its former self.

“Communications with Ka Gonyong was cut on January 19 during which he was likely taken by armed enemy agents of the AFP.

“In all likelihood, Ka Serv was subjected to torture before he was summarily executed by the fascist butchers of the AFP,” Valbuena said.

“Codaste was considered as the acting KomMid chairman after the death of Cabanatan alias Kuba, Madlos alias Ka Oris and Villanueva alias Ka Bok,” Vesliño, for his part, said.

“He was a member of CPP’s Central Committee and Consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“(He was also) a former secretary of Guerilla Front 4A (GF4A) in Agusan del Sur during the early ’90s then later became Secretary of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee in 2009.

“He was elected to the Central Committee during the CPP 2nd Congress in 2016,” Vesliño continued.

The other top CPP terrorist leaders in Mindanao composing the core leaders of KomMid referred to by Vesliño and already neutralized by the military are Antonio Cabanatan, Jorge ‘Ka Oris’ Madlos and, Villanueva.

Cabanatan’s body, along with that of his wife, Florenda Yap, were recovered in Oton, Iloilo, last December 26, 2020, ironically, the 52^nd anniversary of the CPP.

Madlos, for his part, was killed in an encounter also in Impasugong, Bukidnon, last October 30, 2021.

The death of Codaste has now practically decimated the top leaders of the KomMid, making it a shell of its former self.

His death also contributed to the decimation of even the ranks of the CPP Central Committee, as those named by Vesliño were all top CPP officials.

Counting from military reports, KomMid and the CPP has thus far lost 5 of its top leaders—Cabanatan, Madlos, Villanueva, Codaste and, Anna Sandra ‘Kaye’ Reyes.

Reyes was killed in a separate encounter also in Davao de Oro last December 24, 2021.

With their death, KomMid is now practically a “one-man-operation,” referring to Eric/Jun Casilao, who is now the ‘acting’ secretary of the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (SMRPC), after the death of Villanueva.

Casilao, brother of former Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel ‘Ayik’ Casilao, however, may not be around for very long as a bounty of P5.4 million has been placed on his head by the government to hasten his capture, dead or alive (see also Pinoy Exposé, Volume3, Issue No. 3).

Casilao may also now have a hard time managing the affairs of the SMRPC, KomMid’s strongest regional branch, as it is now also on the verge of collapse with the mass surrender of the leaders of SRC5 (Sub-Regional Committee 5) and its main fighting force to the 1003^rd Brigade,10^th Infantry Division on January 10, 2022, 5 days after the death of Villanueva became common knowledge.

In all, the top 12 leaders of SRC5 and its main fighting unit, ‘Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit’ (SRGU) headed by front secretary Ida Marie ‘Mandy’ Montero, turned themselves in with their firearms, rather than continue fighting the government.