The deaths of two American nationals in an armed encounter in Negros Occidental have triggered separate concerns from the government and human rights advocates.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on Sunday that it is launching an independent investigation into allegations of unlawful killings during the clash that left 19 people dead.

The encounter took place on 19 April in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, where government troops clashed with alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Over the weekend, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) confirmed that a second American national was among those killed.

The fatalities were identified as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, both US citizens who reportedly arrived in the Philippines separately in late March before traveling to Negros Occidental.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. said the deaths highlighted what he described as the “increasing involvement of individuals from outside the Philippines in local armed hostilities.”

Information cited by the task force showed that Prijoles had reportedly been affiliated with Anakbayan-USA since 2012, before his presence in the country.

Conflicting accounts

“These facts point to a disturbing convergence: foreign nationals in a live combat setting, where the risks are immediate and the consequences irreversible,” Torres said in a statement.

The NTF-ELCAC said the two Americans were among the 19 alleged NPA combatants whose identities had already been established and whose remains had been returned to their families.

The task force also urged Filipinos abroad, particularly in the United States, to “exercise caution in engagements that may extend beyond lawful advocacy and into areas that carry significant personal risk.”

But while the government linked the fatalities to the communist insurgency, the CHR said conflicting accounts surrounding some of those killed warranted closer scrutiny.

In a statement, the CHR said it would investigate allegations that some of those slain may have been civilians engaged in community work rather than armed combatants.

Among those identified by rights groups were UP Diliman student Alyssa Alano and community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma, who were reportedly conducting work involving farmers in the area when the encounter occurred.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, however, maintained that those killed were members of an armed rebel group operating in the area.

Displaced families

The CHR said it would conduct a “thorough investigation,” including validation of the identities and circumstances surrounding the encounter.

It stressed that under International Humanitarian Law, individuals must be presumed civilians in cases where reasonable doubt exists regarding their status.

“Addressing the root causes of conflict, which include poverty, inequality, and land issues, remain essential to sustainable peace, grounded in strict adherence to human rights and IHL,” the CHR said.

Aside from the fatalities, the commission also raised concern over reports that hundreds of families were displaced by the fighting.

The agency urged authorities to ensure displaced residents are protected from further displacement and are given access to basic services, including medical assistance and education.