Communist Insurgency and Terrorism Report – February 2025
In February 2025, PSA Intelligence recorded 19 Communist Insurgency-related violent incidents. During the period, an arson attack was recorded targeting a construction firm.
PSA recorded 19 Communist insurgency-related violent incidents in February 2025. An increase was recorded in the number of military offensives this month, which could be attributed to the government’s intensified operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) during the period.
Among the notable incidents in February was an NPA arson attack against a construction firm in La Libertad, Negros Oriental. The rebels reportedly set fire to two backhoes, a payloader, and a dump truck, resulting in about PHP 5 million (USD 87,138) worth of damage. The incident was the first NPA-initiated arson incident since January 2024, when NPA rebels burned one tractor in Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Other significant developments were recorded in the Caraga region this month. A top ranking Mindanao-based New People’s Army (NPA) leader known as Myrna Sularte alias “Maria Malaya” was killed in a military encounter in Agusan del Norte last February 12. The death of a key official in one of the NPA’s last remaining bailiwicks underscores the military’s and PSA’s own assessment that the Communist insurgency may be at its lowest point in leadership, manpower, and capacity as of recent years.
Nonetheless, incidents that could be seen as opportunistic attacks against isolated government forces persist, consistent with existing NPA tactics. A local radio news site reported that around 40 suspected NPA rebels ambushed and killed one member of the armed forces auxiliary unit in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur on February 26. Analysts view the reported number of involved rebels as relatively unusual since recent NPA activity in the area has been limited to a small number of rebels.
The military has been reporting on the significant decline of the NPA in the Caraga region as remaining rebels struggle to launch attacks with limited resources. However, authorities have also reported on ongoing efforts by the rebels to rebuild capabilities through revenue and supply collection and recruitment. The group retains a level of popular support particularly in rural areas, although the military claims that the group’s recruitment and fund-generation capabilities for its “legal fronts” have now been significantly diminished.
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