The Philippine Army on Thursday said the discovery of Filipino-American Cristina Pasion during a law enforcement operation in Laguna supports its claim that she had been recruited by the New People's Army (NPA).

Brig. Gen. Melencio Ragudo, commander of the Army's 203rd Infantry Brigade, said Pasion was not the target of the operation but was found inside the same safehouse as Binay Serrano, alias "Samay," an alleged NPA medical and logistics officer wanted for murder.

"She was not the one being arrested. The target was Binay Serrano. It just so happened that when authorities identified the people inside, Pasion was among them," Ragudo said in Filipino.

He said Pasion's presence in the safehouse contradicted claims by militant groups that she had no links to the armed movement.

Earlier this year, the military reported that another Filipino-American, Chantal Anicoche, was rescued days after a Jan. 1 encounter between government troops and alleged NPA rebels in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.

Authorities said Anicoche and Pasion traveled together to Mindoro in December 2025 but became separated during the firefight. Militant groups later blamed the military for Pasion's disappearance.

Asked about Pasion's status, Ragudo said the Army now considers her an alleged NPA recruit.

"Yes, of course. She has been recruited. She has been radicalized," he said, describing what he claimed was the group's recruitment process, which allegedly includes ideological sessions, field exposure and eventual integration into the armed movement.

Ragudo said military records show Pasion arrived in the Philippines in early December 2025 and stayed with Anicoche before traveling to Mindoro.

He added that Pasion was expected to return to the United States on March 14 but allegedly failed to appear for her scheduled departure.

The military also cited handwritten English-language journal entries recovered from an encounter site in Occidental Mindoro, which it believes were written by Pasion.

Among the entries were statements expressing emotional distress, including, "I feel like everyone is playing mind games," and, "Everything is time sensitive. Please f***** kill me right now."*

The Army said the writings suggested the author was under significant emotional strain while staying with the armed group and provided insight into how alleged foreign recruits adapt to life in remote guerrilla camps.

The military has repeatedly alleged that the CPP-NPA recruits foreign nationals through international networks, an allegation that communist groups have consistently denied.

Anicoche later reunited with her family and returned to the United States on 30 January.