NTF-ELCAC backs US alert on NPA recruitment

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Friday welcomed the latest security alert issued by the United States Embassy in Manila warning of the risks posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), including the recruitment of foreign nationals.

Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., executive director of NTF-ELCAC, said the advisory marks a significant acknowledgment by the US government.

“This is perhaps the first direct and explicit recognition by the United States government that its own citizens are being drawn into violence by organizations linked to the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Torres said.

He described the alert as “timely and significant,” noting that it reiterated the NPA’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization by both the United States and the Philippines.

Torres also highlighted the advisory’s warning that foreign terrorist groups actively recruit Americans to participate in or support terrorist activities.

“Equally important is the advisory’s caution that some nongovernmental organizations have affiliations with the NPA and other violent groups,” he said, adding that this reinforces long-standing concerns over infiltration and misuse of legitimate platforms.

The US advisory urged Americans to avoid high-risk areas and abide by local laws, particularly in rural and mountainous regions such as Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar, where recent clashes between government forces and NPA rebels have occurred.

It also warned that “anyone in proximity of NPA elements is at grave risk of arrest, injury, or death,” citing an April 19, 2026 clash that killed two US citizens.

The task force said the development affirms that the insurgency is part of a broader transnational network involving recruitment, radicalization, and terrorism.

NTF-ELCAC also expressed appreciation to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations for its statement on the deaths of US citizens Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.

“Their call for clarity, justice, and a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding these deaths resonates with our own commitment to truth and accountability,” Torres said.

He added that the incident highlights the risks faced by foreign nationals who may be drawn into violent extremism through recruitment and ideological manipulation.