CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — At least 33 individuals have fled their homes in Sitio Gabunan, Barangay Dumalaguing, Impasug-ong town in Bukidnon after the military launched an operation which killed George Madlos aka Ka Oris, the top NPA commander in Mindanao.
Madlos was killed on last October 29, 2021, in the hinterlands of Bukidnon prompting residents to leave their homes and find temporary shelter in the village of Dumalaguing.
Impasug-ong Mayor Anthony Uy said that the displaced individuals have taken shelter at the barangay hall of Dumalaguing.
“Yes we are conducting relief operations for the displaced persons, and we are having a meeting to conduct stress debriefing,” Uy said.
Uy said that Barangay Dumalaguing is approximately 14 kilometers away from the town proper.
The Mayor confirmed that on November 2, at around 9: in the evening, the military launched an airstrike “We heard planes passed by for about five minutes, that’s all we heard,” Uy said.
Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division spokesperson Major Francisco Garello, Jr. also confirmed the airstrike to flush out the core security group that protected Madlos.
“It is the same front – National Operations Command (NOC) of the CPP-NPA Komiteng Mindanao, Regional Operations Command, and Guerilla Front 89 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Command that we are after,” Garello said.
Garello also confirmed that close-in air support was called in to bomb the location of the NPA rebels. “Yes there was an airstrike that was called out, but as for the type of air asset used, there was no information given,” Garello said.
Garello said that the military will continue to run after the rebels.
