• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) welcomed reports that United States federal authorities are investigating the possible involvement of American citizens and organizations in the communist insurgency in the Philippines.
The development follows renewed attention on the deaths of American activists Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, both linked to Anakbayan-USA, who were killed during an armed encounter in Negros Occidental in April.
In a statement, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Liza Fidelis Cañada said the reported inquiries by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should not be surprising, particularly when American citizens are suspected of links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“When American citizens become involved with a foreign terrorist organization like the CPP-NPA, they should expect scrutiny from federal authorities,” Cañada said.
The NTF-ELCAC issued the statement following disclosures by the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) regarding alleged FBI inquiries involving the family of American activist Gabe Pasion, whose sister, Christina Pasion, was arrested in July.
According to the NDFP, Gabe claimed during a press conference in Baltimore that members of his family received repeated calls, home visits, and workplace inquiries from FBI personnel and representatives of the US Embassy in Manila.
Christina Pasion was arrested during a raid on a suspected communist safehouse in Laguna, where authorities also apprehended a wanted NPA member.
Cañada said the reported FBI inquiries came after the US Embassy issued a security advisory in May warning American citizens against NPA recruitment efforts and involvement in armed insurgency activities.
She cited several cases involving American citizens allegedly linked to the communist movement in the Philippines.
Among them was Filipino-American Chantal Anicoche of Maryland, who was recovered near the site of an armed encounter in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, in January. Anicoche later acknowledged traveling to the Philippines with the intention of joining the NPA and staying in an insurgent camp before her repatriation, Cañada said.
According to the NTF-ELCAC, Christina Pasion, who traveled with Anicoche, remained with the communist movement for several more months before her arrest.
“These cases raise serious questions. Who recruited these young Americans? Who financed and facilitated their travel? What networks connected them with armed insurgents and ultimately placed their lives in danger?” Cañada said.
She stressed the need for stronger cooperation between Philippine and American authorities in investigating possible recruitment, financing, and logistical support networks operating across borders.
The NTF-ELCAC also expressed its readiness to share relevant intelligence with the FBI and other US authorities.
The CPP-NPA has been designated by the US government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since Aug. 9, 2002. In the Philippines, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization in 2020 and the NDF in 2021 under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Cañada said the allegations should be subjected to thorough, evidence-based investigation while respecting constitutionally protected political expression, peaceful advocacy, and due process.
She also urged Filipino-American families, particularly parents of young people seeking to reconnect with their Philippine roots through activism, to remain vigilant against what she described as deceptive recruitment schemes disguised as human rights and social justice advocacy.
“No political ideology justifies sacrificing young lives on the altar of a dying, violent rebellion,” she said. | GPB
