Fil-Am among 19 fatalities in Negros encounter

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Aside from a student leader and a party-list group nominee, an American citizen of Filipino descent was among 19 people killed in an encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental last week.

In a statement, Bayan-USA confirmed that Lyle Prijoles, 40, a human rights advocate from California, was among the fatalities in the firefight that occurred in Barangay Salamanca on April 19.

The military claimed that the fatalities including University of the Philippines Dilliman student Alyssa Alano and Kabataan party-list group nominee RJ Nichole Ledesma were members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Asked to comment about the death of Prijoles, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla referred the question to the Army, saying the military led the operation.

Negros Island Region police director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said the incident is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

In January, Army soldiers rescued a Filipino-American activist who was reported missing when an encounter broke out in Occidental Mindoro.

The reported presence of foreign nationals in Negros and Mindoro encounters raised questions on the extent of recruitment and ideological influence of “terror-grooming,” according to Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., executive director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF-ELCAC.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) defended its statement that Alano was armed during the Toboso encounter.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. debunked posts on social media that Alano was in the area for an outreach program.

“All of them were armed including Alano whom they claimed was an innocent student,” Brawner said. “If she was innocent, why was she wearing a combat rig, a vest for carrying ammunition?”

Brawner said the AFP welcomes calls for the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the incident, stressing that the investigation should cover everything including the NPA.

He commended troopers involved in the Toboso encounter for their professionalism, courage and commitment. — Michael Punongbayan, Bella Cariaso