MANILA – A senior official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said Friday that a recent security advisory issued by the US Embassy in Manila reflects growing recognition that foreign nationals, including Americans, may be drawn into violence linked to communist insurgent groups.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the alert underscores concerns over the involvement of organizations tied to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

“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 (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” Torres said in a statement.

The US Embassy in Manila earlier issued a security alert dated May 1, informing its citizens about intensified operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the New People’s Army.

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

The embassy also identified areas of concern, particularly rural and mountainous locations in Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar, where recent clashes between government troops and NPA fighters have resulted in fatalities.

Torres described the advisory as significant, noting that it reiterates the designation of the NPA as a foreign terrorist organization by both the Philippine and US governments.

He said the warning points to what he called a long-standing reality that foreign terrorist groups recruit individuals, including Americans, for participation in violent activities or financial support.

“This acknowledgment affirms what Philippine authorities have consistently exposed—that the insurgency is not merely a domestic security concern but part of a broader transnational network of recruitment, radicalization, and terrorism,” he said.

Torres also expressed appreciation to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) for its statement regarding the deaths of US citizens Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.

He said the group’s call for clarity, justice, and a deeper understanding of the incidents aligns with the government’s commitment to accountability.

“This development strengthens the shared commitment of the Philippines and the United States to combat terrorism in all its forms. It also sends a powerful signal to those who continue to enable, justify, or obscure the activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF: the international community is taking notice, and the truth is becoming undeniable,” Torres added.