Myrna Sularte, better known as Ka Maria Malaya, a high-ranking leader of the communist terrorist group’s (CTG) Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), was killed in an encounter with government forces in Sitio Imelda, Barangay Pianing, Butuan City, on February 12, 2025.
Captain Jonel Castillo, Civil-Military Operations Officer of the 901st Brigade, Philippine Army, confirmed that Malaya was also a Political Bureau member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) before she died in the clash at 1:20 PM.
The encounter followed a series of firefights that began early in the morning at 6:10 AM and 6:30 AM, during which government troops recovered several items belonging to Malaya’s group.
At midday, soldiers came under fire, triggering another skirmish that led to the death of Ka Maria Malaya and the seizure of additional weapons and equipment.
Malaya was the wife of the late Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, a key figure in the New People’s Army (NPA) National Operations Command (NOC), who was killed in a military operation in Bukidnon in October 2021.
She operated primarily in the Caraga region and Northern Mindanao, where she was reportedly responsible for various atrocities, including the killing of civilians and destruction of government projects across Surigao and Agusan provinces.
A native of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, Malaya was listed among the most wanted NPA leaders in the country.
She faced multiple criminal charges, including rebellion, murder, multiple murder, and frustrated murder.