• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Authorities have expressed alarm on the increasing involvement of foreigners in local armed hostilities after two Americans were both reported to be among the 19 individuals killed in the armed encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19.
In a statement, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) identified the US nationals as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.
“These facts point to a disturbing convergence. Foreign nationals in a live combat setting, where the risks are immediate and the consequences irreversible. For Filipinos living overseas, particularly in the United States, this situation calls for heightened awareness and sound judgment,” NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres said.
Also killed aside from New People’s Army hitman Roger Fabillar Tapang, who was linked to about 45 killings of civilians in northern Negros since last year, were Alyssa Alano, a student activist of the University of Philippines-Dilliman, and RJ Nichole Ledesma, a nominee of the Kabataan partylist during the 2022 elections.
Capt. Judesses Catalogo, spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said on Sunday, April 26 that all the 19 cadavers were already claimed either by their respective families or representatives from the two funeral parlors in Toboso and Escalante City.
According to the NTF-ELCAC, Prijoles had been affiliated with Anakbayan-USA since 2012 and arrived in the Philippines in March 2026 along with Sorem, from Tacoma, Washington, who was also reported by the Philippine Army as a founding member of Anakbayan-USA.
In January this year, Filipino-American activist Chantal Anicoche, 24, was rescued by Philippine Army troops, following an encounter with a group of NPA rebels in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. Mamamayang Liberal partylist Rep. Leila de Lima and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio are pushing for a congressional investigation into what had transpired to find clarity and the truth, as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started its probe of the incident.
De Lima, a former CHR chairperson and Justice secretary, said that “while we support our military’s pursuit of peace and order in the country, we do not tolerate unnecessary violence or flagrant violations of human rights and humanitarian laws”.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines maintained that the operation was a “legitimate military operation,” questioning critics over the presence of alleged civilians at the encounter site.
Aside from the 19 cadavers recovered, the Philippine Army also reported to have seized 24 firearms and explosives from the encounter site.
The CHR expressed its grave concern over the reported armed encounter, and through its regional office in Negros Island Region, has initiated an independent investigation.
It noted “the inconsistencies in the identities of those dead.”
“While the Armed Forces of the Philippines maintains that the casualties were members of an armed group, other organizations assert that some victims, including Alano and Ledesma, were civilians engaged in community work”.
“Either of the claims require thorough, independent verification,” it added.
“The Commission calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the CHR investigation, preserve evidence, ensure unimpeded access to information and sites, and comply strictly with International Humanitarian Law and human rights standards”. | GB
