Between September and December 2025, armed clashes broke out in Western Samar, Mindoro, Negros Occidental, Leyte, and Northern Samar. Units of the New People’s Army (NPA) carried out coordinated attacks on military intelligence forces, and successfully ambushed infantry units. In recent years, the fascist troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have constantly used airstrikes and large-scale military operations, later hastily announcing that several regions across the country were “free of insurgency.” However, recent reports show otherwise.
Western Samar operations
September 27: In San Jose de Buan, an NPA unit clashed bravely with 8th Infantry Division troops, leaving one soldier dead and several wounded. NPA-Western Samar (Arnulfo Ortiz Command) described the attack as payback for military actions disrupting local life of townspeople, and asserted continued guerrilla growth among peasant populations.
December 3: At 1:32 a.m., gunfire broke the quiet in Barangay Babaclayon, San Jose de Buan, leaving two AFP intelligence operatives dead. Dozens of agents stormed a house where two NPA guerillas were hiding, but the Red fighters managed to slip away after catching the soldiers off guard with pistol shots. The NPA firmly rejected the military’s desperate claims that they used a child as a shield.
Mindoro Island clashes
October 1: NPA-Mindoro (Lucio de Guzman Command) bravely fought a military assault on its temporary camp in Oriental Mindoro. To cover up its failure, the military dismissed the report, but locals accused it of covering up casualties. NPA-Mindoro spokesperson Ka Madaay Gasic argued that the AFP’s denial of casualties and recent encounters aim to mask large-scale military operations during post-typhoon recovery operations in the island.
November 26: A brief but intense encounter broke out between NPA-Mindoro and the 76th Infantry Battalion in Occidental Mindoro, resulting in at least two soldiers dead and several more wounded. The NPA fighters withdrew without casualties. Following the clash, the 76th IB ramped up its presence, carrying out arrests, detentions, and forced evacuations across several barangays.
Negros Occidental targeted operations
October 3: NPA-Southwest Negros (Armando Sumayang Jr. Command) carried out the execution of Garde Francisco, a 15th IB intelligence asset, at his own home in Kabankalan City. Francisco stood accused of tracking revolutionaries and being involved in a string of deadly incidents: the killings of peace consultant Ericson Acosta and peasant leader Joseph Jimenez, a massacre of five Red fighters and a civilian, and the Kabankalan 7 case, which claimed the lives of a former UP-Cebu student leader and three elderly citizens.
September 4: NPA-South Central Negros (Romeo Nanta Command) launched a surprise attack on the 94th Infantry Battalion in Himamaylan City, wounding at least 2 soldiers. The NPA claimed the 94th IB had enforced strict military control since October 16, preventing residents from farming and caring for livestock. No NPA casualties were reported.
November 6: NPA-South Central Negros targeted and killed Jomy Pelarta, a 94th IB intelligence asset, in Himamaylan City. Pelarta was accused of supplying information that led to the 2022 capture, torture, and death of NPA spokesperson Ka Juanito Magbanua. He was reportedly rewarded with cash and a motorcycle, and faced several sexual assault charges, including two counts of rapeóone involving a victim with a disabilityóand one count of attempted rape.
December 7: NPA-Northern Negros (Roselyn Jean Pelle Command) launched an operation in Calatrava, seizing weapons from military intelligence asset Mando Ugdiman. As they withdrew, three plainclothes police officers confronted them, sparking a firefight that left Police Senior Master Sergeant Rommel Aguilar dead. The NPA took his weapon as the other officers fled.
In October, several intelligence agents from the 15th Infantry Battalion surrendered to NPA-Southwest Negros, openly admitting their military roles. NPA said the revolutionary movement is open to intelligence agents who surrender, provided they have no blood debts.
Leyte Province
October 15: Red fighters from the NPA-Leyte Island (Mt. Amendawin Command) struck a 14th Infantry Battalion unit in Javier, Leyte, inflicting several casualties. The 14th IB remained silent. The attack came just months after the Marcos government declared most of Leyte province insurgency-free, with Javier notably left off the list.
In the last few months, the fascist military has been continuously engaged in various human rights abuses like forced evacuations, illegal arrests, indiscriminate gunfire, and distorting casualty figures. In response, NPA Red fighters consistently launched various actions to protect peasant communities and livelihood, and punish intelligence assets. NPA units confirmed continued revolutionary activity despite government rhetoric of declining revolutionary movement, emphasizing growth among peasant communities and adaptation to growing military pressure.