The daughter of Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat was killed on Saturday in an encounter between the military and the NPA in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
Jevilyn Cullamat alias “Ka Reb” was a member of the armed unit of the Northeastern Regional Committee Guerilla Front 19 Platoon and served as a medic.
Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Officer of the 3rd Special Forces battalion Lieutenant Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan disclosed that the operation was prompted by rape complaints from the indigenous communities in the area.
“Prior to that, there were already reports coming from the IP Communities on the presence of the armed NPA terrorists, so we took action and conducted our strike operations.”
Various firearms and subversive documents of the terrorist group were also recovered in the operation.
The family of Cullamat was already advised regarding the incident. 401st Brigadier General Allan Hambala has extended his sympathies to the family stating that they are also victims of the terrorist group’s deceptions.
3rd SF Batallion Lt. Col. Joey Baybayan pointed out the significance of the public’s cooperation against the NPA. He stated that it is proof that the government’s campaign against insurgency through the whole-of-nation approach pushed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is effective. – Report from Doreen Marielle Rosales, PIA-CARAGA