Back-to-back firefights in the mountains of Bukidnon province left two New People's Army fighters dead — including a senior NPA commander — as troops under the 4th Infantry Division carried out sustained offensive operations against remnants of a communist terrorist formation in Northern Mindanao on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
The engagements, which unfolded hours apart in separate barangays, resulted in the seizure of three high-powered firearms, magazines, ammunition, and a backpack. The encounters were the latest in a continuing campaign to dismantle the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), a component formation of the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) that the Armed Forces of the Philippines identifies as one of the remaining but weakened insurgent structures operating in Northern Mindanao.
First Contact: Midnight Firefight in Cabanglasan
The first encounter occurred during midnight operations when soldiers of the 1st Special Forces Battalion came upon fleeing NPA elements at Sitio Tagiptip, Barangay Iba, in the municipality of Cabanglasan, according to a statement released by the 4th Infantry Division.
The clash resulted in the death of NPA member Edward Pantandon, who went by the alias "Wando." Troops retrieved one M16 rifle from the scene following the engagement. The timing of the encounter suggested that pre-positioned intelligence had allowed military units to act on real-time information about the rebel group's movements through the area.
The 1st Special Forces Battalion had been tracking the NPA group as part of a broader coordinated offensive against NCMRC elements across Bukidnon province.
Second Clash: Senior NPA Figure Falls in Malaybalay City
Several hours later, at approximately 11:35 in the morning of the same day, troops of the 8th Infantry Battalion made contact with the same armed group at Sitio Nalumosan, Barangay Silae, in Malaybalay City — also within Bukidnon province.
That encounter ended with the death of Romeo Manpinsahan, alias "Kakoy," whom the military identified as the Commanding Officer of Headquarters Force NEO under the NCMRC. His position within the NPA's organizational hierarchy placed him among the senior leadership of the regional insurgent formation, according to the 4th Infantry Division's public affairs office.
Following the engagement, soldiers recovered two additional high-powered firearms along with magazines, ammunition, and a backpack believed to contain operational materials. The specific makes and models of the recovered weapons were not disclosed in the military's initial statement.
Multi-Unit Coordination Across Bukidnon
The twin encounters were not the product of a single battalion acting independently. The 4th Infantry Division said the day's operations were carried out through a multi-formation effort involving several units operating in coordination across the province.
According to the 4ID statement, supporting forces included troops from the 88th Infantry Battalion, the 26th Infantry Battalion, the 41st and 42nd Division Reconnaissance Companies, and artillery support from the 4th and 7th Field Artillery Battalions. Embedded intelligence assets from 4ID units operating within the area provided targeting support throughout the operation.
The multi-unit approach was consistent with the military's stated strategy of applying simultaneous pressure across multiple positions to prevent rebel elements from regrouping or relocating to areas outside the immediate operational zone.
403rd Brigade Chief Points to NPA's Weakening Structure
Brigadier General Seigfred C. Tubalado, Commander of the 403rd Brigade, said the results of the June 21 operations reflect the continued deterioration of the NCMRC's fighting strength and its capacity to sustain organized armed resistance in Northern Mindanao.
In remarks attributed to him by the 4ID public affairs office, Tubalado noted that the sustained operational tempo against remaining NPA elements in the region has consistently produced tangible outcomes, with the neutralization of a senior NCMRC commander serving as an indicator that the group's internal command structure is being progressively weakened. The 403rd Brigade holds operational responsibility for the Bukidnon area, making the June 21 engagements a direct result of operations under his command.
4ID Chief Ties Bukidnon Gains to Regional Peace Milestone
Major General Marion T. Angcao, Commander of the 4th Infantry Division, issued a separate statement placing the Bukidnon operations within the larger strategic context of the division's peace and security mandate for Northern Mindanao.
Angcao connected the battlefield results to the recently achieved Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) classification across the entire Caraga Region — a milestone the 4th Infantry Division is now working to replicate across Northern Mindanao.
"This development signifies another setback for the NPA. We remain resolute in our mission to dismantle the remaining armed groups and ensure that peace and development continue to flourish in our communities. Following the successful declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) across the entire Caraga Region, we are determined to sustain the momentum of our peace efforts in Northern Mindanao. We hope to achieve the same milestone in the region through continued collaboration among our forces, local government units, stakeholders, and communities," Angcao said, as quoted in the 4ID statement.
The SIPS classification is a formal benchmark used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to indicate that communist insurgent activity in a given area has been sufficiently reduced to allow civilian governance and community development programs to proceed without significant security disruption.
NCMRC Described as Degraded but Not Yet Fully Neutralized
The 4th Infantry Division characterizes the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee as one of the CPP-NPA-NDF's weakened but still-active formations in Northern Mindanao. The NCMRC covers portions of Bukidnon and adjacent areas in the Mindanao hinterlands — territory historically associated with entrenched NPA activity owing to geographic remoteness and conditions of rural poverty.
The loss of Manpinsahan, as commander of Headquarters Force NEO, eliminates a senior operational figure from the NCMRC's chain of command. Headquarters Force NEO is described as a subordinate unit within the regional committee's armed wing, tasked with directing ground-level operations within its assigned area of responsibility.
While the military's use of the term "weakened formation" indicates the NCMRC has endured significant attrition over a prolonged campaign, the continued operational activity of the 4ID in Bukidnon signals that the formation has not yet been declared fully neutralized.
Operations Set to Continue in Bukidnon and Surrounding Areas
Statements from both Brigadier General Tubalado and Major General Angcao make clear that the 4th Infantry Division intends to maintain operational pressure against NCMRC remnants in Bukidnon and neighboring provinces in the weeks and months ahead.
The division's overarching objective is to bring Northern Mindanao to the same SIPS classification currently held by the Caraga Region. Angcao specifically cited collaboration among military units, local government units, community stakeholders, and civilian populations as essential to achieving that goal.
The June 21, 2026 engagements mark at least two NPA fighters killed and three firearms seized within a single day of coordinated operations — figures the 4ID is expected to factor into its ongoing evaluation of the NCMRC's residual combat capacity and ability to sustain armed resistance across Northern Mindanao.
Originally reported by: Camp Evangelista / 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office