• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Armando Sumayang Jr. Command of the New People’s Army (ASJC-NPA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Leonora Anguit, a 74-year-old resident of Purok Halimbawa, Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City, who was shot dead on the evening of February 3.
According to police reports, the victim sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the forehead, believed to be from a 9mm firearm, during the attack that occurred around 8 p.m.
Initial information gathered from the victim’s husband revealed that several armed individuals arrived at their residence and forced him into a room, while Anguit was taken outside to be questioned regarding a previous military encounter that took place on their property.
The guerrilla front justified the killing by alleging that Anguit acted as an intelligence asset for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The group claimed her reports led to the April 27, 2025, clash between the 47th, 11th, and 15th Infantry Battalions and the remnants of the Southwest Front NPA at her residence that resulted in the deaths of their 7 members referred to as the ‘Tapi 7.’
The NPA reportedly issued a ‘death penalty’ against Anguit, accusing her of ‘blood debts’ for her alleged role in the death of their members.
The rebel group claimed that the couple had actually been tipped off by the military to vacate their home prior to the raid on the resting guerrillas.
They added that the killing served as a warning to other government informants, the NPA stated they would continue to pursue ‘revolutionary justice’ against those aiding state forces.*
