A brief but deadly encounter between government soldiers and communist rebels in the mountains of Baybay City, Leyte, on Tuesday afternoon left one New People’s Army leader dead — a confrontation that military officials say was triggered by a civilian tip about armed men demanding money and food from local communities.
The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) confirmed the incident and identified the slain rebel as Erwin Murillo Maceda, known by the alias “Romnick.” According to the 8ID, Maceda held the position of Vice Team Leader 1 of Island Committee Levox under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee — a mid-level leadership role within the NPA’s regional command structure. The encounter took place in Barangay Caridad, within the hinterland areas of Baybay City.
Civilian Report Prompted Military Response
The 8ID explained that soldiers from the 802nd Infantry Brigade were deployed to the area after a local resident flagged the presence of armed individuals allegedly engaged in extortion activities — specifically, collecting money and food from communities in the vicinity. Troops moved into the area to verify the reported information, and an armed confrontation with the rebels ensued shortly after.
The firefight lasted approximately five minutes, according to the 8ID. Following the clash, soldiers recovered one M16 rifle from the site of the encounter. The 8th Infantry Division is based at Camp Lukban in Catbalogan City, Samar, and maintains operational jurisdiction over Eastern Visayas.
Brigade Commander Links Maceda to Civilian Threats in Leyte
Brigadier General Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, stated that Maceda and his armed group had been associated with a range of actions against civilians and local officials in Leyte. The military linked the group to extortion activities, intimidation of residents and business owners, and attacks on government security installations in the province. The 8ID, however, did not release supporting case records to substantiate these specific allegations, and no charges have been tested before a court of law.
“The people of Leyte have endured years of fear, intimidation, and disruption caused by armed groups. We will not allow these conditions to return to communities that have worked hard to achieve peace,” Almagro was quoted as saying in the 8ID statement.
Almagro also acknowledged the role of the local resident whose report made the military response possible, urging the broader public to continue sharing information with authorities. The commander framed community cooperation as an essential component of the military’s counterinsurgency efforts in the region.
Baybay City Remains Outside Insurgency-Free Declaration
The 8th Infantry Division characterized the encounter as evidence of a communist effort to re-infiltrate communities where peace and security conditions had previously been consolidated. However, the military’s own records complicate this framing: Baybay City is among a small number of Leyte local government units that have yet to receive a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) declaration.
The 93rd Infantry Battalion noted in July that Tacloban City, Baybay City, and the municipalities of Carigara, Jaro, and Albuera account for five of the 43 local government units in Leyte that remain without SIPSC status. The absence of this designation indicates that Baybay City is still considered an active operational area — a fact that puts into question the military’s narrative of rebels attempting to re-enter communities that had already achieved stable peace.
Military Renews Appeal for NPA Members to Surrender
In the wake of the encounter, the 8ID repeated its longstanding appeal to remaining NPA fighters to lay down their arms and avail themselves of government surrender and reintegration programs. The military did not specify any deadline or changes to the terms of such programs.
As of the time of reporting, neither the NPA nor the National Democratic Front had released any statement addressing the incident in Baybay City. No other casualties were reported by the military from the Tuesday encounter.
By the Numbers
- 5 minutes — approximate duration of the firefight in Barangay Caridad, Baybay City
- 1 M16 rifle recovered by soldiers at the encounter site
- 5 Leyte local government units still without a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition declaration, as reported in July
- 43 total local government units comprising Leyte province
Why This Matters
The death of a named mid-level NPA commander in Eastern Visayas reflects the Philippine Army’s sustained counterinsurgency campaign in a region where the 8ID says rebel groups continue to seek footholds in communities. The fact that Baybay City remains one of only five Leyte LGUs without a SIPSC declaration — out of 43 total — indicates that the area is still an active conflict zone despite broader provincial gains. The episode also illustrates how civilian reporting has become a key intelligence mechanism for the military in detecting and disrupting NPA movements at the community level.
Source: Originally reported by the 8th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, as published across regional news outlets.
