SHE WAS old and frail at 74.
Yet Lola Leonora Anggit’s age and condition did not spare her from the brutal retaliation of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Without mercy, she was shot in the forehead inside her sibling’s residence in Purok Halimbawa, Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City, on February 3.
Three armed men wearing bonnets carried out the summary execution.
The killing of Lola Leonora drew strong condemnation from Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda, officials of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Brigade and 15th Infantry Battalion, as well as from citizens and netizens on social media.
Five days later, on February 8, the Armando Sumayang Jr. Command (ASJC) of the NPA released a press statement admitting responsibility for the killing.
“The NPA will continue to demand payment for crimes and carry out justice for the victims of state fascism,” a portion of the ASJC statement read.
MILITARY ‘MARITES’
The NPA justified the killing by alleging that Lola Leonora was a military informant — branded as a so-called “Marites.”
Today, “Marites” is slang referring to a gossip-monger, usually a woman.
It may sound amusing in casual conversation, but in this case, the label carried deadly consequences.
Brigadier General Jason Jumawan, commanding officer of the Army’s 302nd Brigade in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, vehemently denied that Lola Leonora was one of their military “assets.”
“I would deny that. That’s not true!” Jumawan told this writer. “What they did to the old woman was a barbaric act.”
But how did Lola Leonora end up being branded a military “Marites” in the first place?
SPY-TAGGING
On April 27 last year, seven individuals reportedly stayed at Lola Leonora’s house.
Among them was former University of the Philippines-Cebu student leader Jhon “Dee” Supelanas, who was later killed in an encounter between the Army and suspected rebels that took place in Lola Leonora’s home in Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan.
Supelanas and the six others had reportedly stayed there days before the encounter.
According to Jumawan, based on military intelligence, rebels would not stay in someone’s house unless there was trust.
“So it might be that Lola Leonora was their asset and not ours,” Jumawan stressed.
Meanwhile, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) condemned the ASJC for killing an elderly woman.
“This is a clear case of ‘spy-tagging’ that turned into summary execution,” said Ernesto Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC director, in a press statement.
With her death, Lola Leonora became the 33rd Negrense civilian reportedly killed by rebels since January 2025 due to alleged “spy-tagging.”
Of the 33 victims, seven were from Negros Oriental and 26 from Negros Occidental, according to the military’s list.
Most of the victims, a military report said, had sought Army protection after being forced to pay monthly revolutionary taxes.
“It’s pitiable because most of them were agrarian reform beneficiaries turned small sugar planters,” Jumawan added.
‘LIQUIDATING SQUADS’
Aside from the ASJC, other NPA groups on Negros Island have reportedly been tagged as “liquidating squads” targeting alleged military “Marites.”
These include the Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) in central Negros, the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJPC) in northern Negros, and the Romeo Nanta Command (RNC) in south-central Negros.
Jumawan described these remnants as the “dying embers” of the NPA in Negros.
“They are resorting to killing civilians just to project that they remain a force to be reckoned with. But in truth, they are not,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL SHAME
The barbaric killing of Lola Leonora brings international disgrace to the NPA, which has long branded itself as a “protector of the masses” since its founding in 1969.
As the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the NPA positioned itself as a defender of rural communities, claiming to fight poverty, landlessness, and social injustice.
For years, many believed in its ideology of social reform. To some, it symbolized hope against perceived injustice.
But following Lola Leonora’s killing, public perception appears to be shifting.
The outrage is palpable.
Some may even consider this a form of femicide — the killing of a woman because she is a woman — a global issue that governments and human rights groups continue to address through legal reforms and advocacy.
PROFOUND DISHONOR
The killing of Lola Leonora constitutes a profound dishonor.
Filipino culture is deeply rooted in respect for elders, family, and filial piety.
Lolos and lolas are regarded as pillars of wisdom, strength, and tradition.
To kill an elderly woman in such a brutal manner is a direct assault on these core moral values.
The NPA must reflect on this.
If it continues to act in ways that violate deeply ingrained cultural norms, it risks being seen not as a revolutionary force, but as nothing more than “bulldogs in the mountain,” acting in contradiction to its own professed principles.
The people will not take this lightly.
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