The Rise and Fall of Guerrilla Front Sendong

InSites by: Josephine J. Codilla, PhD

The history of Guerrilla Front Sendong (GF Sendong), operating in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Misamis Occidental, is marked by both brutality and persistence. For decades, this group, named after its late leader Joel Cecilio O. Jose (alias Sendong), instilled fear through a series of atrocities that disrupted communities, crippled development, and left an indelible scar on the region. However, after years of targeted operations, the combined forces of the Philippine Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade (102Bde) and other government units ultimately dismantled this Communist Terrorist Group, signaling a triumphant return of peace and stability.

GF Sendong’s reign of terror began with its astute use of the local terrain and socio-economic vulnerabilities, recruiting marginalized groups—youth, indigenous peoples (the Subanens), farmers, and students—to fuel its campaign. Their method was one of force and intimidation. They engaged in raids, executed civilian “informants,” burned construction equipment, and extorted businesses. The lives lost, including innocent civilians and military personnel, were a stark reminder of the group’s disregard for life and law.

Notable atrocities, such as the raid on the Don Victoriano Chiongban Municipal Police Station in 2013, which resulted in the capture of high-powered firearms, demonstrated GF Sendong’s tactical capabilities. Over the years, they escalated their violence: ambushing police outposts, assassinating volunteers aiding government forces, and attacking civilian infrastructures to assert dominance. Their strategic goal was clear: instill fear, cripple local economies, and recruit at will.

Yet the group’s days of terror were numbered. The government’s response was methodical and relentless. With the establishment of President Duterte’s Executive Order 70, aimed at dismantling local communist armed conflict, the 102Bde mobilized key Task Units (TUs) to specifically target GF Sendong. The 102Bde employed a comprehensive approach that combined military force, intelligence operations, and civil-military cooperation, all under the banner of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

At the heart of this final accomplishment were the 102Bde’s Task Units. Notably, Task Unit Terminator and Task Unit Eradicator played crucial roles in the final days of GF Sendong’s existence. They demonstrated unmatched mastery of the terrain and relentless pursuit of the remaining members and successfully neutralized the group’s leadership, weakening their resolve and forcing many to surrender. By 2023, GF Sendong’s numbers had dwindled drastically, culminating in the complete dismantling of the group in early 2024.

The dismantling of GF Sendong is a historic milestone in Philippine military history, as it is the first guerrilla front to be fully eradicated with zero remaining manpower. The group’s downfall brought an end to the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee’s (WMRPC) ability to operate, leaving it without any vertical or horizontal structure. After nearly three decades of insurgency, the neutralization of the last remaining members of GF Sendong signified the definitive conclusion of its existence, as confirmed by the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (NJPSCC) Resolution No. 01-2024.

GF Sendong’s final defeat came not just through military power but through strategic collaboration. Its dismantling, symbolized by the declaration of the 102nd Brigade’s AOR as insurgency-free in 2024, is a testament to the serious resolve of the Philippine government to utilize the power of the Whole-of-Nation Approach, a coordinated approach where military operations complement the larger goal of peace and development.

Today, the communities that once trembled under the shadow of this insurgent group can now begin the long process of rebuilding and healing.

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