A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday said recent incidents in Negros Occidental and Samar lay bare a troubling shift in the recruitment practices of the New People’s Army (NPA), marked by the increasing involvement of foreign nationals and minors in active combat—a development that raises serious concerns about the trajectory of the armed movement.

Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC executive director, said that in the April 19, 2026 armed encounter in Toboso, two American nationals—Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem—were among the nineteen (19) NPA combatants killed, as reported by the Negros police.

“Their deaths underscore how individuals from outside the country are now being drawn into local armed hostilities,” Torres said.

He added that among those killed in the same encounter, as identified in the PNP investigation and validated by their claimant-relatives, were two minors, Jolinda Jimena (16) and Dexter Patoja (17). Torres said their presence in a combat environment highlights the grave risks faced by young individuals who become involved in armed conflict.

In a separate incident in Samar on April 17, 2026, another minor identified as alias “John Paul” was killed during an armed encounter, as reported by the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, bringing to three the number of minors killed in combat within the same period.

“Taken together, these cases present a pattern that cannot be dismissed. The involvement of foreign nationals alongside minors points to a widening recruitment scope that extends beyond traditional local bases and into more vulnerable sectors,” Torres explained.

“The recruitment and use of minors in armed conflict constitute serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), as well as Republic Act No. 11188 (Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act), Republic Act No. 7610, and the Philippines’ obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC),” Torres emphasized.

Those responsible, the NTF-ELCAC official said, particularly elements of the CPP–NPA–NDF, must be made to account for these transgressions of both domestic and international law.

Torres said these laws exist to ensure that children are protected from exploitation and exposure to violence.

“The presence of foreign nationals in these encounters further indicates that recruitment efforts have expanded beyond Philippine borders, exposing individuals from the diaspora to the dangers of armed confrontation on the ground,” Torres said.

These developments, Torres stressed, suggest increasing pressure on the movement to sustain its ranks, reflected in a shift toward drawing from sectors that are either geographically distant or inherently vulnerable.

According to Torres, the situation calls for heightened awareness and vigilance among families, communities, school administrations, and organizations—both in the Philippines and abroad—to ensure that individuals, particularly the youth, are not placed in circumstances that endanger their lives.

“A movement that draws in children and foreign nationals into armed conflict is not demonstrating strength—it is revealing a critical strain that comes at the cost of human lives,” Torres said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has stepped up its community watch efforts nationwide to curb evolving insurgent recruitment tactics following the clashes.

PNP chief, Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., said authorities are closely monitoring how recruitment methods have changed, especially among vulnerable sectors.

“We’re seeing recruitment shifting online—social media ang primary platform. Mas targeted ngayon sa kabataan through ideological narratives and misinformation,” he said.

“Recruitment is becoming more subtle, and it includes community immersion and cause-oriented messaging,” he added, noting that these approaches make detection more difficult at the early stages.

To counter these tactics, Nartatez ordered the immediate deployment of community-focused police visibility in Negros and nearby high-risk provinces.

“I have directed all local units in the Negros Island Region and even other areas to intensify their patrols. Dapat mas lalong paigtingin ang ating ugnayan sa komunidad to ensure that no more lives are lost to recruitment propaganda,” he said.

The PNP is also planning to launch an aggressive information campaign across schools and barangays to expose recruitment tactics used on social media and prevent further radicalization, in coordination with concerned government agencies.

“The youth is the vulnerable sector in this case. Curiosity and idealism are being exploited, so it is important for parents to monitor and ensure proper guidance, while we in the PNP also help through awareness campaigns and other information drive-related interventions,” Nartatez said.

The PNP is a critical part of the national government’s anti-insurgency campaign through a whole-of-nation approach.