Philippine Army kills top communist insurgent leader named 'Putin'
Putin was killed during a firefight in the central province of Negros Occidental.
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL: The Philippine Army said they have killed a top communist insurgent leader nicknamed Putin, the same name as the Russian president, during a firefight in Negros Occidental province in the Western Visayas region.
Army operating troops of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303Bde) under the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) neutralised Rogelio Posadas, whose alias was Putin, the top leader of Komiteng Rehiyon - Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS) chapter of the New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); and secretary of the Unified Regional Committee, on Apr 20.
The Army, in a statement on Tuesday (Apr 25), said Posada was killed along the boundaries of Isabela and Binalbagan municipalities.
"He is responsible for various atrocities and illegal activities in the region, including assassinations, extortions, kidnappings, arson and other forms of violence against civilians and government personalities," said the Army.
"He was positively identified through the help of informants and former rebels who surrendered to 94IB. This accomplishment was credited to the operating troops of the 94th Infantry 'Mandirigma' Battalion (94IB) and 62nd Infantry 'Unifier' Battalion (62IB).
"The Army lauded the 303Bde for their relentless military operations which resulted in the neutralisation of Posada.
Posada's death came six months after another high-ranking NPA official in Negros, Juanito Magbanua, was killed in a clash with security forces in October 2022.
Meanwhile, the Army has moved two units of its newly acquired Israeli-made artillery system to the Western Visayas region to bolster its campaign against communist insurgency there.
"Two units of the Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (Atmos) 155mm self-propelled guns arrived at the 3rd Infantry Division’s (3ID) headquarters in Jamindan, Capiz province, to bolster the division’s capability in neutralising internal threats," 3ID announced in a statement on Sunday (April 23).
3ID commander Maj. Gen. Marion R. Sison said that the arrival of the Atmos self-propelled guns will be a game-changer in the Army's focused military operations against the remaining Communist-Terrorist Group (CTG) members in the region.
"These assets will bolster our internal security operations and will largely contribute to the dismantling of the CTG in Western and Central Visayas," Sison said
The Atmos 155mm self-propelled guns have a maximum range of 41 kilometres depending on the type of ammunition used and have a target precision of 10 to 50 kilometres.
The Philippine Army received 12 units of the said self-propelled guns from Israeli defence company Elbit Systems in December 2021.
These were procured under the Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernisation Plan.
Eight units of the howitzer system were sent to Mindanao to support counterterrorism operations against communist and Moro terror groups in the region, according to former defence undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. in October last year.