U.S. flags Negros NPA risk for Americans

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The U.S. Embassy in Manila issued a security alert over the weekend to U.S. citizens following intensified operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the New People’s Army in Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar.

In its advisory, the embassy said U.S. citizens have been present during recent military actions against the NPA, including the April 19 armed clash in Toboso, Negros Occidental, that resulted in the deaths of two Americans.

“We advise Americans in the Philippines and around the world to abide by local laws and to avoid situations with elevated security risk,” the Embassy stressed.

The embassy identified rural and mountainous areas of Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar as areas of heightened concern following recent fatal clashes between the NPA and Philippine forces.

The embassy advised U.S. citizens not to affiliate with terrorist or insurgent groups, saying the NPA is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the governments of the United States and the Philippines.

“Anyone in proximity of NPA elements is at grave risk of arrest, injury, or death,” it stated, adding that foreign terrorist organizations actively recruit Americans to participate directly in terrorist activities and/or provide financial support.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict recently confirmed the deaths of two Filipino Americans in the clash, identified as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.

The Communist Party of the Philippines claimed the two were unarmed and noncombatants.

Prijoles and Sorem were among 19 alleged NPA rebels killed in a series of clashes with the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, last month.

Military troops were pursuing the group of alleged notorious hit man Roger Fabillar Tapang of the dismantled Northern Negros Front.

Tapang, who was tagged in the killings of 36 people in northern Negros since 2022, particularly in the towns of Calatrava and Toboso and Escalante City, was among the 19 fatalities.

The armed encounter drew mixed reactions and public scrutiny.

The Philippine Army maintained that the operation against the NPA rebels was legitimate and said it welcomed any investigation into the incident.

The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, has waged one of Asia’s longest-running communist insurgencies, though the government has said its remaining fronts have weakened in recent years.

Following the clash, the U.S. Embassy reminded U.S. citizens that it can assist them if they unwittingly become associated with a group they suspect is engaged in terrorism or armed opposition to the Philippine government.

The embassy advised Americans to immediately leave the area if they encounter armed individuals who are not affiliated with the police or military.

It also said volunteer groups should coordinate with local governments, which can provide reliable security information and local context.

Americans seeking to engage in humanitarian activities should work with groups registered with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency and obtain the correct visa, the embassy said.

The embassy also warned that some nongovernmental organizations have affiliations with the NPA and other violent groups.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commanding general of the Philippine Army, conferred awards on two soldiers wounded in combat, recognizing their courage and dedication to duty.

The soldiers, both members of the 79th IB, received the Military Merit Medal with Spearhead Device and the Military Merit Medal during Nafarrete’s Labor Day visit to Camp Peralta Station Hospital in Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz.

The awards followed separate encounters with NPA members in Negros Occidental.

The first clash occurred April 6 in Sitio Proper, Barangay Mina-utok, Calatrava.

The second engagement happened April 19 in Sitio Sinugmawan and Sitio Plarinding, Barangay Salamanca, Toboso.

Nafarrete commended the soldiers for their bravery, saying their actions exemplified the highest standards of military service and reflected the Philippine Army’s commitment to safeguard the nation and its people.