MANILA – Filipino-American Chantal Anicoche has left the Philippines following government orders after admitting her presence in a New People’s Army (NPA) camp during an armed encounter in Occidental Mindoro and her involvement with organizations abroad linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) international network, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said Sunday.

In a statement, Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr., Executive Director of NTF-ELCAC, said the government’s actions were lawful, evidence-based, and motivated by security and immigration concerns, not politics.

“The decision was not arbitrary, nor was it a political act. It was based on information that emerged during lawful processing, including Ms. Anicoche’s own disclosures regarding her activities and affiliations,” Torres said.

Anicoche was found near the site of a January 1 armed encounter between government forces and the NPA in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, where a young student was killed, another person went missing, and two government soldiers were wounded. During debriefing, she admitted traveling to the Philippines to link up with the NPA and that she was staying in an NPA camp at the time of the incident.

She also acknowledged involvement with organizations abroad that form part of the CPP’s international support network, which authorities say engage in recruitment, fundraising, and ideological promotion for the armed movement.

“These circumstances, taken together, are clear security and immigration concerns that warranted decisive administrative action,” Torres said. He added that the Bureau of Immigration’s Order to Leave is an administrative measure grounded in law and does not constitute a declaration of innocence or validate claims of political persecution.

Torres warned that Anicoche’s case underscores a broader risk of young people, including foreign nationals, being drawn into conflict zones under the guise of advocacy or international solidarity, exposing them to recruitment, radicalization, and armed violence.

The NTF-ELCAC also expressed concern over groups circulating Anicoche’s name and images without consent, even as authorities handled her case with care.

With Anicoche now out of the country, Torres said the Philippine government has fulfilled its legal obligations, leaving further engagement to her home country and family. He reaffirmed the task force’s commitment to exposing recruitment networks linked to armed groups, protecting communities, and promoting peace through accountability and development.

“No political narrative is worth a life, and no ideology justifies placing young people in harm’s way,” Torres added.