Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>Two US citizens were among 19 people killed in a raid on an alleged communist stronghold in the Philippines that has sparked a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/26/chr-probes-negros-occidental-clash-1235">probe by the country&#x27;s rights commission</a>, a government task force said.</p><p>More than 300 residents in the Toboso municipality of Negros island fled their homes on April 19 as gunfire rang out in the remote sugar cane-farming region, the municipal disaster management office told AFP last week.</p><p>The number of people killed in the firefight, in which only one soldier was wounded,<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/4/24/protesters-seek-truly-independent-probe-into-negros-occidental-clash-that-killed-19-1552"> sparked calls for an investigation.</a></p><p>The two Americans, identified as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, arrived in Negros Occidental province about a month before they were killed, the task force said in a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/26/ntf-elcac-warns-filipinos-abroad-vs-being-drawn-into-armed-conflict-in-ph-1100"> statement late Saturday.</a></p><p>&quot;The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) notes with serious concern the confirmation that a second American national was among those killed in the April 19, 2026 armed encounter,&quot; the statement said.</p><p>&quot;This brings to two (2) the number of US citizens... who died in the same incident,&quot; it added, identifying all 19 killed as &quot;combatant&quot; members of the New People&#x27;s Army (NPA), which has been fighting a long-running insurgency for nearly 60 years.</p><p>Prijoles&#x27; name had been released shortly after the clash.</p><p>The US Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NOT A MASSACRE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>&quot;The military operations carried out by the Philippine Army&#x27;s 79th Infantry Battalion ... warrant an urgent investigation,&quot; Congresswoman Leila de Lima said Saturday.</p><p>She pointed to the deaths of a young student and a community journalist in the raid.</p><p>In a separate statement, local rights monitor Karapatan said the &quot;sheer number of those killed triggers significant questions and conclusions on the conduct of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) operations&quot;.</p><p>The Philippine military, which handed out medals to a number of soldiers involved, said the raid was &quot;a legitimate armed encounter, not a massacre&quot;, noting the seizure of 24 firearms.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/23/defense-officials-reject-claims-civilians-were-killed-in-negros-occidental-clash-1534">Defense officials reject claims civilians were killed in Negros Occidental clash</a></div><p>Addressing a probe launched by the country&#x27;s Commission on Human Rights, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala told reporters on Sunday the military was &quot;open to investigation and the evidence will speak for us&quot;.</p><p>The military told AFP last week it had been fighting &quot;remnants&quot; of the NPA near the Toboso municipality.</p><p>Dema-ala said the area was &quot;one of the more active remnants of the (guerrilla) front in the central Philippines&quot;.</p><p>The military estimates the rebel group has fewer than 2,000 armed members left.</p>

<p>Two US citizens were among 19 people killed in a raid on an alleged communist stronghold in the Philippines that has sparked a probe by the country's rights commission, a government task force said.</p>

Two US citizens were among 19 people killed in a raid on an alleged communist stronghold in the Philippines that has sparked a probe by the country's rights commission, a government task force said.

Philippines says two US citizens among 19 killed in Negros raid

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Philippines says two US citizens among 19 killed in Negros raid

Agence France-Presse

Published April 27, 2026 08:31 AM PHT

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NPA

military

Negros Occidental

clash

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