16 soldiers awarded Gold Cross for anti-insurgency work

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Sixteen soldiers were given Gold Cross Medals yesterday for their efforts in neutralizing a top Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) commander and her followers.

Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, Eastern Mindanao Command chief, pinned the medals on the soldiers for their operation against NPA leader Myrna Sularte, alias Maria Malaya, who was killed in an encounter with the Army’s 901st Brigade at Sitio Imelda in Barangay Pianing, Butuan City.

Bergante was assisted by Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., 4th Infantry Division commander, in distributing the medals to the soldiers during a ceremony at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City.

According to 901st Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Arsenio Sadural, Sularte was the secretary of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee and member of the CPP’s political bureau.

“She was facing multiple criminal charges, including rebellion, destructive arson, robbery with double homicide, damage to property, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery in band, murder, multiple murder and frustrated murder, among others. These charges arose from the numerous injustices and acts of terrorism she directed and perpetrated in the Caraga region,” Sadural said.