Major Ruben Gadut, chief of the 10th ID Public Affairs Office, revealed this strategic push during a press briefing held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel last week.
“Across the entire Philippines, we no longer have active guerrilla fronts,” Gadut said. “So now, almost all military units are dealing with remnants. The smaller the group, the more difficult they are to find.”
Gadut highlighted the strategic importance of neutralizing a key figure known as “Ka Aldrin,” who served as a guide and significant contributor to the remnants’ survival in their operating areas. Despite a sustained military presence, these remnants consistently returned to familiar territories.
“Just like I explained, they keep returning to the same areas despite numerous combat groups operating there. Why not go somewhere else with fewer soldiers? The point is, because of the presence of Ka Aldrin, he was the one guiding them. He significantly contributed to the remnants’ survival. But based on our current assessment, since Ka Aldrin was neutralized, he was the one guiding the entire SMRC remnants in that area.”
With Ka Aldrin’s neutralization, the military anticipates a shift in the insurgents’ ability to evade capture.
“One of the things I foresee here is either they surrender, or if they don’t surrender, it will be easier for our combat groups to locate and pinpoint them,” Gadut asserted.
The 10th ID’s commander has issued a clear directive: to hunt down and eradicate the remaining SMRC members if they do not surrender.
This urgency has set an ambitious timeline. “But the guidance of our commander is to eradicate them, to really hunt them down if they don’t surrender, so our timeline is by August. Supposedly, the SMRC will be dismantled by then.”
While acknowledging previous delays in other operations, Gadut stressed the current focus. “We are a bit late with ‘Jaguar’ (in a previous operation), but the focus is now on SMRC. So, we are still actively searching for the top secretary of the SMRC, known as alias Nikki.”
Gadut further explained the organizational structure of the NPA’s armed groups, noting that a unit typically has a commanding officer and a political instructor or guide.
With the recent losses, only the secretary remains as the highest-ranking political cadre in the SMRC.
“What has happened is that they are the only ones left. The secretary is the only one standing as a political cadre there. Of course, their position in the movement is higher, but in terms of military actions, the next target would have been the officer,” he explained.
“So, it’s not just the commanding officer, but this individual was the reason they survived in that area due to their familiarity with the terrain. Because of their absence now, because they were neutralized, we are looking at many possibilities. It’s either they surrender, as the parents of the two deceased leaders have also appealed for them to surrender.”
Gadut cautioned against further armed resistance. “So, if they don’t surrender, there is a high probability of encounters, and hopefully, we can avoid that.”
Evidence of the insurgents’ dwindling resources and fear of detection within communities was also presented.
“Our proof of this is the four temporary hideouts we’ve found. Supposedly, if we enter the sitios, we shouldn’t find temporary hideouts because they can easily go legal. The reason we easily find their citings is that they can never enter the communities, meaning their survival in the mountains depends on avoiding people.”
Gadut clarified the nature of these encampments.
“Let’s be clear, these are temporary hideouts, not encampments. Because if they were encampments, aside from foxholes, there would usually be makeshift beds and lecture areas. We don’t see that anymore. These are just resting places for a day or two.”
As the August deadline approaches, the 10th Infantry Division remains determined to neutralize the SMRC’s remaining leadership, aiming to finally declare Southern Mindanao free from organized guerrilla warfare.
The coming months will be crucial in determining whether the last vestiges of the communist insurgency in the region will surrender or face intensified military pursuit.
