AFP expresses sympathies to daughter of partylist solon who died in clash with military

November 30, 2020

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed sympathies to the family and relatives of Jevilyn Cullamat, who died in a clash with government troops in Surigao del Sur last Saturday.

Cullamat alias “Ka Reb”, the youngest daughter of Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat was killed during a clash with the military in barangay San Isidro, Marihatag muncipality.

"The AFP deeply condoles with Congresswoman Eufemia Cullamat and her family for the demise of her youngest daughter Jevilyn Cullamat, 22 years old, an NPA combatant, who died in an armed encounter with government security forces around 4pm of 28 November 2020 in Brgy. San Isidro, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur," Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman said.

"We grieve deeply with the Bayan Muna representative and her family as we would for many Filipino families —including soldiers’— who have lost a father, a mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, or kin who died in this more than five decades of fighting," he said.

"We can only pray for the many youth whose lives have been wasted by Sison’s deception and lies —including that of the daughter of the Representative and other sorrowful mothers whose children have died or are now in the ranks of the NPA," said Arevalo.

Arevalo said the military continues to reach out to people '' who continue to fight for or advocate this meaningless battle.''

We urge them to return to the folds of the law, assist in peaceful but meaningful change, and help heal the wounds that widely divided our nation and its people. There should not be another Jevilyn Cullamat; or another Congresswoman Cullamat to suffer another loss for a senseless cause," he added.

1st Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan, civil military operations officer of the  3rd Special Forces Battalion, said   Cullamat, ''a medic of the NPAs, belongs to the CNTs (Communist New People's Army Terrorists) Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP) Platoon of Guerilla Front 19, Northeastern Regional Committee (NEMRC)."

Punsalan said the government troops also recovered high powered firearms and other materiel.

"Jevilyn Cullamat was a student of NPA-linked schools of TRIFPSS (Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur) and ALCADEV (Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, Inc.),'' he added.

 "Firearms recovered were three AK-47 rifles, one M14 rifle, and one M653 5.56 caliber rifle," he added.

Brig. General Allan Hambala , 401st Infantry brigade commander, also extends its sincerest condolences to the family of Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Campos Cullamat and calls for all IPs (indigenous people) to unite in condemning the exploitation of IPs and abandon the armed terrorist struggle.

“We send our sincerest condolences to the Cullamat family. We are saddened because we know that she and her family were just victims to the CNTs’ destructive and pointless ideology. While there are issues concerning the IPs, violent, armed, and terrorist struggle will never be the right solution to it,” Hambala said. Robina Asido/DMS