- Slain NPA leader “Malaya” has no potential successor: 4ID commander
THE DEATH of Myrna Sularte aka Maria Malaya has potentially crippled the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee since the communist guerrilla leader had no potential successor, 4th Infantry Division commander, Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., revealed on Thursday.
Anayron anticipated a wave of surrenders in the coming days after Sularte was reportedly killed in a clash between soldiers and communist fighters in Sitio Imelda, Barangay Pianing, Butuan City on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.
Sularte was the wife of Jorge Madlos, also known as Ka Oris, 72, who died in another military operation in Bukidnon in October 2021.
Sularte was the secretary of the NEMRC operating in the Caraga Region (Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Butuan City, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao City), and a political bureau member of the Central Committee, Communist Party of the Philippines and Executive Committee of Komisyong Mindanao (KOMMID).
A native of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, she was one of the most wanted NPA leaders in the country. She also had multiple criminal charges, including murder, multiple murders, frustrated murder, robbery with double homicide, destruction of property, and other criminal offenses.
In a phone interview with TIMES on Thursday morning, Anayron said that the possible successor would be commander Bong Waco, the Regional Operation Command. However, his focus is only on combat operations.
“If you become secretary, you need to have strategies, you need to think about the how.” “Basically, the NEMRC leadership is dwindling. There are very few left. Maybe there’s one front secretary, Sandara. So, there are only those two. So, I doubt if they can fulfill the duties that Myrna Sularte fulfilled,” Anayron said.
She described Sularte as a “charismatic leader, a mother, a grandmother,” which would be very difficult to replace.
Another impact would be her connections that would be severed by her death, which would affect the NPA logistics.
He also said that based on their profile, Sularte was very secretive and only trusted a very few people. So, the Army officer said that she was not likely to share her contacts with others, particularly the financial supporters.
Also, soldiers of the 401st Infantry Brigade encountered RSDG members in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. “Initial reports indicate that our operating troops have body counts, so the troops are still scouring the area,” the division commander added.
The encounter
He also detailed the encounter between troops of the 30th Infantry Battalion under the 901st Infantry Brigade and Sularte’s group.
“The night before the encounter, we gathered intelligence data that pinpointed her area in the upper part of Barangay Pianing, Butuan City. As early as last week, when I attended the Agusan del Norte provincial council meeting, I told them that Myrna Sularte’s group was in the vicinity of Butuan,” he explained.
“So, our intelligence development continued. The night before the encounter, we launched, in effect, a prepositioning of troops, blocking possible withdrawal routes should they be engaged,” he added.
“Before that, we executed a focused military operation, and as early as 6:20 a.m. the following day [Wednesday], they were engaged. That’s where the first encounter occurred. Five minutes later, as they fled, another combat group intercepted them, resulting in a second encounter around 6:29 a.m. with the same group. After that, they fled again, and we continued to track their withdrawal direction. Our adjacent operating troops and ground commanders made adjustments to their probable destinations,” he further said.
“And true enough, at around 1:20 p.m., another combat group encountered them, and that’s when she was hit. She was the only one left behind in the group who was hit,” he said.
“Later, upon checking, we saw features that resembled our pictures of Myrna Sularte, initially her teeth. We asked for other identifying marks, and they said she had a mole on her foot and marks from a November 2024 bullet wound on her shoulder,” he added.
“We saw that it resembled her, and later we confirmed that she was indeed the one who died there,” he said.
“She hasn’t carried a gun since we’ve observed her, even in the NCMRC alias Kayuka, Rheda, [Sec, NCMRC]. Considering her age; carrying an M16 would be heavy for her, and even a bandolier would be heavy for her,” he added.
The commander said the body was retrieved and would be turned over to the Scene of the Crimes Operatives, which will release the official autopsy report.
Message for Sularte’s family and other NPA members
“To be frank, I know it’s painful for the remaining members of her immediate family, very painful. But then again, they should also consider what led us to this point,” he said.
“We exerted effort in inviting and talking with them to surrender, but then, in the military mind, one way of discouraging them, convincing them to surrender, is really to impress upon them that they will not win. That’s why we conduct focused military operations to show them the superiority of our troops and our government, and to show them other means or other ways to achieve what they want. As a commander, I know the feeling. So, this happened. We would have liked it if her neutralization had happened through her capture or surrender, but we had no choice; she didn’t want to. As for us, in any way we can assist the family, we are willing; we are willing to assist them in any way we can,” he further said.
Brigadier General Arsenio D.C. Sadural, commander of the 901st Brigade, said: “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. She is facing multiple criminal charges, including Rebellion, Destructive Arson, Robbery with Double Homicide, Damage to Property, Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention, Robbery in Band, Murder, Multiple Murder, and Frustrated Murder, among others. These charges arise from the numerous injustices and acts of terrorism she directed and perpetrated in the Caraga region.”
On NPA’s retaliation
“We cannot discount it, but looking at their capability, their strength, their current status of always being on the run, avoiding our troops, I can say it’s possible if they really want to and are that determined. But our troops, in fact, have already achieved a strategic victory. What remains now is just the finishing touches. If we neglect this, there’s a possibility that they can recover in these areas. That’s why what we’re doing now is just finishing all the preparations and victories achieved by the previous commanders. In my leadership, I am just inheriting the good leadership that the former commanders here in the 4th ID established,” Anayron said.
“And so far, our focused military operations are still ongoing in the area. Hopefully, we will still encounter the remnants of the estimated 10 in the group that was there at that time.”
Also, in a press statement, Anayron congratulated the 901st Brigade under BGen. Sadural and the 30th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Albert M Batingga for neutralizing the CTG’s highest leadership in Caraga.
“It is unfortunate that Malaya has suffered the same tragic fate as her husband, Ka Oris, and their son, Vincent. 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 innocent 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 remaining members and the eventual end of the Communist Terrorist Group in our area of responsibility,” Anayron stated.
The 4ID emphasizes its call for peace among those remaining in the CTG. It offers reassurance to members who wish to leave, stating that they will be safe and supported. The government will guide them in starting a new, peaceful life through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides various resources and assistance for reintegration into society.
