• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The United States Embassy warns Americans of dangers posed by the New People’s Army, following the deaths of its two citizens in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Confirming the presence of two Americans among the 19 individuals killed during military operations on April 19, the US Embassy issued an advisory for Americans to abide by local laws and to avoid situations with elevated security risks.
Among the 19 fatalities tagged by the Philippine Army as NPA rebels were US citizens Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, both affiliated with Bayan and Anakbayan USA, which are tagged by the National Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front.
The advisory stated that the NPA is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US and Philippine governments. Anyone in the proximity of NPA elements is at grave risk of arrest, injury, or death, stressing also that foreign terrorist organizations actively recruit Americans to participate directly in terrorist activities and/or provide financial support.
Americans seeking to engage in humanitarian activities should work with groups registered with the Philippines National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency and obtain the correct visa. Volunteer groups should also coordinate with local governments, which can provide reliable security information and local context, the advisory said
In a statement, NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. said the US Embassy security alert warning its citizens against the dangers posed by the NPA is a recognition that Americans are drawn into violence by organizations linked to the communist insurgents.
“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.
The advisory, according to Torres, is both timely and significant as it states that the “NPA is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the governments of the United States and the Philippines.”
More importantly, it underscores a critical reality that has long been denied or downplayed: “Foreign terrorist organizations actively recruit Americans to participate directly in terrorist activities and/or provide financial support,” he stressed.
Equally important is the advisory’s caution that “some non-governmental organizations have affiliations with the NPA and other violent groups,” reinforcing long-standing concerns about infiltration and the misuse of legitimate platforms for recruitment and support activities, Torres further said.
We fully support the Embassy’s clear directive: “Do not affiliate with terrorist or insurgent groups.” This is a message not only for U.S. citizens but for all individuals—Filipinos and foreigners alike—who may be exposed to narratives that obscure the violent and unlawful nature of armed insurgency, the NTF-ELCAC official said.*
