The second ranking New People's Army commander in Mindanao fell at the hands of the military and police in Bukidnon last January 21, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) said Tuesday.

Troops figured in a 30-minute firefight against an estimated 15 New People Army members which resulted in the death of Pedro Codaste and a certain alias Zandro in Barangay Kalabugao, Impasugong, Bukidnon.

They also recovered two firearms composed of an AK47 rifle, a caliber .45 Pistol, an anti-personnel mine (APM), three backpacks with personal belongings, and subversive documents at the encounter site.

Codaste was considered as the acting chairman of the NPA's Komisyun Mindanao (KOMMID) after the death of Antonio Cabanatan, Jorge Madlos, and Menandro Villanueva.

He was also a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) Central Committee, National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant, Deputy Secretary KOMMID, former Secretary of Guerilla Front 4A (GF4A) in Agusan del Sur during the early '90s, and later became Secretary of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee in 2009.

According to EastMinCom head Lt Gen. Greg Almerol, the death of Codaste gives justice to the victims of his atrocities in Mindanao. He had multiple warrants of arrest for murder, double frustrated murder, and attempted murder from the Regional Trial Court, 10th Judicial Region of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon since last August 2018.

Almerol said more NPA personalities will yield to the troops as they cannot survive at hands of inexperienced leaders.

“We are seeing a snowball of surrender in the coming days with the successful neutralization of another CTG head. This is possible as the operational balance of the CTG continues to crumble while the morale of their followers depletes after a series of engagements with our troops," he said.

Almerol reiterated his call to the remaining NPAs to surrender peacefully instead of following the path of their slain leaders. Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command