A ranking New People's Army leader was killed Tuesday afternoon during a brief firefight with government troops in the hinterlands of Barangay Caridad, Baybay City, Leyte, the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division announced.
The 8th Infantry Division (8ID) identified the slain rebel as Erwin Murillo Maceda, alias "Romnick," described by the military as Vice Team Leader 1 of Island Committee Levox under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. Soldiers recovered one M16 rifle from the encounter site, the division said.
Troops Responded to Report of Armed Men Extorting Communities
According to the 8ID, soldiers from the 802nd Infantry Brigade entered the area after a resident reported the presence of armed individuals allegedly collecting money and food from nearby communities. Troops moved in to verify the information, and the armed confrontation followed.
The clash lasted approximately five minutes, the 8ID said. The division is headquartered at Camp Lukban in Catbalogan City, Samar.
Brigade Commander Cites Pattern of Threats Against Civilians
Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, said Maceda and his group had been linked to acts against civilians and local officials in Leyte, including extortion, threats against residents and business owners, and attacks on government security installations. The military did not release supporting case records, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
"The people of Leyte have endured years of fear, intimidation, and disruption caused by armed groups. We will not allow these conditions to return to communities that have worked hard to achieve peace," Almagro said.
Almagro credited community reporting for enabling troops to respond before threats escalated, and urged residents to continue providing information to authorities.
Baybay City Among Five Leyte LGUs Without Insurgency-Free Status
The 8ID framed the encounter as a failed attempt by the communist movement to re-enter communities that had achieved stable peace and security conditions. Baybay City, however, remains among a handful of Leyte local government units yet to receive a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) declaration.
The 93rd Infantry Battalion stated in July that Tacloban City, Baybay City, and the towns of Carigara, Jaro, and Albuera were the five remaining LGUs in Leyte without the SIPSC status, out of 43 total LGUs in the province.
Military Renews Call for Rebels to Surrender
The 8ID reiterated its standing call for remaining NPA members to lay down their arms and take advantage of government surrender and reintegration programs while these remain available.
As of publication, neither the NPA nor the National Democratic Front had issued a statement regarding the encounter.
By the Numbers
- 5 minutes — duration of the firefight in Barangay Caridad
- 1 M16 rifle recovered from the encounter site
- 5 Leyte LGUs still without a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition declaration, as of July 2026
- 43 total local government units in Leyte province
Why This Matters
The killing of a named mid-level NPA commander in Leyte underscores the Philippine Army's continued counterinsurgency operations in Eastern Visayas, a region where the 8ID says armed groups have been attempting to reassert influence in communities previously stabilized. Baybay City's absence from the list of SIPSC-declared LGUs — one of only five remaining in Leyte — signals that the area remains an active operational zone for both military forces and the NPA. The incident also highlights the military's reliance on civilian tip-offs as a frontline intelligence tool in its campaign to suppress communist armed activity in the region.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of 8ID Public Affairs Office