Two alleged NPAs killed in police-military operation in Compostela Valley

June 24, 2019

Two people, including an alleged high ranking member of New People's Army (NPA), were killed in joint police and military operation in Compostela Valley  Sunday morning.

1Lt. Amadeuz Celestial,  civil military operations officer of the 60th Infantry Battalion, said the slain suspects were a certain Jay Mendoza alias "Pogs" and his cohort known only as "Ondoy". 

Celestial said government forces were serving a warrant of arrest against Mendoza when the suspects fired at the troops in the vicinity of Brgy. Bagong Silang Laak, Compostela Valley around 6 am.

"The Laak Municipal Police assisted by the 60th Infantry Battalion were set to serve four warrants for Mendoza who is charged with murder, double murder with double frustrated murder, robbery in band, and serious illegal detention when Mendoza and Ondoy started firing at the arresting party before they could even reach the former's safehouse," he said.

"This prompted the authorities to return fire which eventually led to the killing of Mendoza and Ondoy," he added.

Celestial said Mendoza is the deputy secretary of the NPA's Guerilla Front 2, sub-regional committee 2, Southern Mindanao Command while Ondoy is among drug personalities under the PNP ( Philippine National Police) watchlist in Laak, Compostela Valley.

"Mendoza is responsible for killing at least two army officers and 16 soldiers, several PNP personnel CAFGU Active Auxiliaries, and former rebels from 2006 to 2018," he said.

"He was also involved in the burning of mining equipment, vehicles, and office of Apex Mining in Maco, CVP in 2012; attack at Dasia Security Agency in Tagum last May 2014; attack on Gov. Generoso Municipal Police Station and abduction of its chief of police in 2016; burning of mining equipment in Banay-banay, Davao Oriental in January 2018; and numerous extortion activities in the region," he added.

Celestial said after the clash authorities discovered Mendoza and Ondoy's cadavers together with war materials.

Recovered items include two caliber 45 pistols, one Uzi sub-machine gun with magazine and live ammunition, one  fragmentation grenade, one blasting cap, one meter detonating cord, and one mobile phone. Robina Asido/DMS