EXHAUSTED. Sarwin Ellonor Villamor (right), a ranking New People's Army leader operating in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur surrendered along with his party wife, Jesel Bato Salahay on June 17, 2022 in Cabadbaran City. The couple says they turned themselves in due to exhaustion and hunger in the mountains. (Photo courtesy of 65IB) BUTUAN CITY - A ranking New People's Army (NPA) leader and his party wife recently surrendered to the intelligence units of the Army's 65th Infantry Battalion (65IB) and 36IB in Agusan del Norte. In a statement Monday, 65IB said Sarwin Ellonor Villamor and Jesel Bato Salahay surrendered on June 17 in Barangay Mahaba, Cabadbaran City. "The platoon of Villamor has been operating in the hinterlands of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur," the Army unit said. It added that Villamor and his party wife handed over a .45 caliber pistol with defaced serial number, and a steel magazine loaded with six rounds of ammunition. "Exhaustion an
SEIZED FIREARMS. Photo shows four of the six firearms, along with other provisions, that were recovered from New People's Army guerrillas during separate encounters on the border of Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Norte provinces on Tuesday (Dec. 14, 2021). Two NPA rebels were also killed in the encounters. (Photo courtesy of 4ID) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Two communist New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas were killed while six firearms were recovered during separate encounters with state troopers in the borders of Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Norte, the military here said Wednesday. In a statement, Maj. Francisco Garello, the Army's 4th Infantry Division (ID) public affairs office chief, said the encounters took place Tuesday between Sitio Mangilit, Barangay Bal-ason, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; and Sitio Malague, Barangay Guinabsan, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. "In Buenavista, the 23rd Infantry Battalion (IB) recovered one firearm, while the 58IB, together with the