by JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – An informant civilian who reported the location of the rebel’s top leader Jorge Madlos alias “Ka Oris” received a total bounty of P7.8 million, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported yesterday.
In a fitting ceremony held at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday, the informant known only as alias “Ricky” for security reasons, received his reward from the top brass of the AFP headed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Andres Centino.
Both Lorenzana and Centino personally handed down the cash reward to alias Ricky with the presence of other military officers in Mindanao and the members of the military who were invited to grace the occasion.
INTEL INFO LEADS TO “KA ORIS” DEATH
Through the A1 intel information received by the military, Ka Oris, a top national leader of the communist group New People’s Army (NPA), was killed on October 30, 2021, at their camp in Dumalaguing, Impasugong, Bukidnon – when the government launched an offensive to arrest the rebel leader dead or alive.
The military offensive resulted in a firefight between government troops and the NPA combatants but the readiness of the government and a well planned offensive shocked the rebels which later resulted to Ka Oris being hit by a bullet that caused his untimely demise.
The AFP was very thankful to the intel information of the civilian informant which neutralized the NPA stronghold in the countryside. It also resulted in the arrest and surrenders of many NPA rebels in different parts of the country.
The Army’s 4ID public affairs chief Major Francisco Garello told the media that the vital information coming from a concerned civilian was very instrumental in the neutralization of the rebel leaders, and the surrenders of other leaders from other parts of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon.
It was learned that since 2000, a reward of P7.8 million was already tagged on Madlo’s head through the AFP-PNP Joint Order of Reward was placed by DND and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
The reward on Madlo’s head was established and announced even in the earlier part June 2001 to encourage more people and civilians to provide intel information regarding the location of the rebel leader.
ON THE DAY OF THE ENCOUNTER
Jorge Madlos a.k.a. “Oris,” 72, the country’s most wanted and top Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) leader was killed in an encounter in Bukidnon, the military announced in October 2021.
Maj. Francisco Garello Jr. the Chief of the army’s Division of Public Affairs Office, said that Madjos was killed together with another commnist guerilla after a 30-minute air and ground assault in Sitio Gabunan, Dumalaguing, Impasugong, Bukidnon Saturday noon on October 30, 2021.
The other casualty was identified as Eighfel Dela Pena alias Pika/Maui, Comms Staff and Medical Staff of the National Operation Command (NOC).
The military launched a joint and combined operations about 12:30 Saturday morning after receiving a report about the presence of heavily armed men conducting indoctrination and teach-ins in the area.
Military intelligence reported that the armed group were believed components of the NOC of the CPP-NPA Komiteng Mindanao (KOMMID); Regional Operations Command (ROC), HQ NEO, RSDG COMPAQ; and Guerilla Front 89 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Command.
Garello said that the military called for an airstrike before assaulting the heavily defended area surrounded with anti-personnel mines (APM) before engaging the communist guerrillas in a 30- minute firefight.
During the clearing operations, the assaulting troopers discovered two abandoned cadavers, captured one M14 Rifle, one KG9 Rifle and recovered ammunition of different caliber and other war materiel.
In a statement released In October 2021, Maj. Gen. Romeo S Brawner Jr, Commander of the 4ID, confirmed that one of the cadavers was that of George Madlos alias Ka Oris, the Commander and spokesperson of NOC-NPA nationwide; Member, Central Committee – EXECOM/Politburo; Spokesperson of the NDF– Mindanao, and the husband of Myrna Sularte alias Maria Malaya, the Secretary of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC)
Ka Ores is the top most wanted NPA commander in the country. He is facing multiple criminal cases such as robbery with double homicide and damage to properties with Criminal Case (CC) Nr 2295; Multiple murder and double frustrated murder with CC Nr 20162-09 and 20163-09; and murder with CC Nrs 20867-10, 20957 to 59-10, 17754-07, L-2628, L-2629 to 30. -0-
