THE United States (US) Embassy in Manila has warned Americans to avoid rural and mountainous areas in the Philippines following intensified military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), an advisory that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) described as a recognition of the risks posed by groups linked to the communist insurgency.
The embassy issued the security alert on Friday, May 1, 2026, after an April 19 armed clash resulted in multiple deaths, including those of two Americans.
In a statement Friday, NTF-Elcac executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the advisory was significant because it warned US citizens against the dangers of being near NPA elements.
The US Embassy said US citizens had been present during recent military actions against the NPA.
“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 said.
Identified areas
The advisory identified rural and mountainous areas in Leyte, Mindoro, Negros and Samar as areas of heightened concern because of recent fatal encounters between government forces and the NPA.
Torres, for his part, said the security alert was “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).”
The advisory, he said, was timely because it stated that the NPA is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the governments of the United States and the Philippines.
Torres said the warning highlighted what he called a “critical reality” that has long been denied or downplayed.
“Foreign terrorist organizations actively recruit Americans to participate directly in terrorist activities and/or provide financial support,” he said.
“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 added.
Other warnings
The embassy advised Americans not to affiliate with terrorist or insurgent groups. It said Americans who may have unknowingly become associated with a group suspected of engaging in terrorism or armed opposition to the Philippine government should contact the embassy immediately.
Americans who encounter armed individuals not affiliated with the police or the military were also advised to leave the area at once.
The embassy also cautioned Americans seeking to join humanitarian activities in the Philippines, saying some nongovernment organizations have affiliations with the NPA and other violent groups.
It advised them to work only with groups registered with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, obtain the proper visa and coordinate with local government units for security information and local context.
Torres also expressed the NTF-Elcac’s appreciation to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) for its statement on the deaths of US citizens Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem.
Torres said NaFFAA’s call for clarity, justice and a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding the deaths aligned with the task force’s commitment to truth and accountability. / KAL, PNA