Army, NTF-ELCAC welcome U.S. warning vs NPA recruitment

Philippine military and anti-insurgency officials on Friday welcomed a security alert from the United States Embassy warning Americans against involvement with the New People’s Army (NPA) following the deaths of two US citizens in a recent firefight.

The US Embassy advisory, issued amid intensified operations in Mindoro, Negros, Leyte, and Samar, noted that foreign nationals have been present in recent encounters.

This includes a 19 April clash in Negros Occidental that resulted in the deaths of two Americans, identified by officials as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.

Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., executive director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, called the advisory a significant recognition by Washington that its citizens are being recruited by organizations linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines.

“The advisory is both timely and significant,” Torres said in a statement. “In unequivocal terms, it states: ‘The NPA is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the governments of the United States and the Philippines.’”

Torres added that the alert underscores a “critical reality” that foreign terrorist organizations actively recruit Americans for activities or financial support, often through non-governmental organizations with clandestine affiliations.

Maj. Gen. Ramon Zagala, commander of the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division, said the advisory serves as a critical safeguard to prevent individuals, particularly those in overseas communities, from being “misled into armed involvement.”

Zagala cited previous cases in Mindoro involving Filipino Americans Cristina Pasion and Chantal Anicoche as evidence of a troubling recruitment pattern.

“Our focus is to ensure that communities remain informed, protected, and free from the influence of armed groups,” Zagala said, adding that the goal remains a “Free Mindoro” where development can thrive without the threat of exploitation.