MANILA, Philippines — An alleged ranking official of the New People’s Army (NPA) and another rebel were killed during an encounter in Bukidnon province over the weekend, the military reported on Tuesday.
Members of the 4th Infantry Division’s 402nd Brigade, 16th Infantry Battalion, and the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force and around 15 NPA members figured in a half-an-hour-long gun battle last Friday, January 21, in Impasugong town that led to the death of Pedro Codaste, alias Gonyong or Serv, and another rebel identified as alias Zandro, according to the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom).
Codaste, the EastMinCom, also said, was the second top-ranking commander of the communist group in Mindanao.
Authorities said government forces recovered an AK47 Rifle, a Caliber .45 Pistol, an Anti-Personnel Mine, as well as three backpacks with personal belongings, and other documents at the encounter site.
The EastMinCom said Codaste was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ central committee as he was also a National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant, Deputy Secretary of NPA’s Komisyun Mindanao (Kommid), and former secretary of Guerilla Front 4A in Agusan del Sur during the early 1990s. It added that Codaste became Secretary of NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee in 2009.
The EastMinCom explained that Codaste was considered acting chairman of Kommid after the death of NPA spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, CPP Southern Mindanao Regional Committee Menandro Villanueva, and NDF peace consultant Antonio Cabanatan.
Madlos was also killed in an encounter in Impasugong town last year.