Philippines: Four NPA members killed in Agusan del Sur clashes

The Communist Party of the Philippines-North Central Mindanao Region (CPP-NCMR) has confirmed the deaths of four New People’s Army (NPA) members following armed encounters with government troops in Barangay Bakingking, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, on September 10 and 12, 2026.

The deceased have been identified as Julia Cagadas-Lastimosa (alias “Ka Rida”), Rocha Mae Bihag (alias “Ka Maki”), Tiloy Basahon (alias “Ka Doydoy”), and Ringo Lindayo (alias “Ka Kikoy”). The CPP-NCMR described the individuals as “revolutionary heroes,” noting that Cagadas-Lastimosa had been a leading cadre and organizer in the region since the early 1980s.

The Philippine Army condemned the CPP-NCMR’s statement, accusing the group of romanticizing a “failed armed struggle” and exploiting vulnerable youth, students, and farmers for warfare. Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala stated that the group continues to push an ideology that causes “immeasurable pain” and emphasized that students should be in classrooms rather than being recruited for armed conflict.