Two American nationals were allegedly among the 19 people killed in an armed encounter between the Philippine Army (PA) and New People’s Army (NPA) in Toboso, Negros Occidental last week, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Saturday, April 25.

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto C. Torres Jr. identified the fatalities as Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, who were reportedly affiliated with militant organization Anakbayan-USA.

Torres said both Americans arrived separately in the country towards the end of March, weeks before the encounter. They were believed to have subsequently traveled to Negros Occidental, where they died following the clash.

“These facts point to a disturbing convergence: foreign nationals in a live combat setting, where the risks are immediate and the consequences irreversible,” Torres said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with their families, who now face the burden of loss under circumstances that unfolded far from their homes,” he added.

Anakbayan-USA said Sorem and Prijoles were not combatants but youth activists and cultural workers.

The group said Sorem, 26, was raised in Steilacoom, Washington, and studied to be a music instructor at the Central Washington University. It said Sorem went to the Philippines "to deepen her knowledge of her country and culture through learning the language and serving peasant farming communities."

Meanwhile, Anakbayan said Prijoles, 40, was a human rights advocate from California. 

"He [was] a well-loved community member who for decades was involved with the Filipino community—whether through his parents’ Filipino restaurant, student clubs in college, arts and cultural organizations, and human rights advocacy groups," Anakbayan-USA said.

Prior to his death, Anakbayan-USA said that Prijoles chose to visit the Philippines once more this spring "to live with communities in Negros and learn first-hand their daily hardships and experiences under state repression."

The April 19 clash involved members of the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB), under the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, and suspected remnants of the Northern Negros Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros (NNF, KR-N).

Nineteen individuals died from the encounter, including the target of the anti-insurgency operation, Roger Fabillar, whom the military identified as an alleged NPA operative assigned to conduct special missions for the now-defunct Northern Negros Front.

Aside from Prijoles and Sorem, also killed were Roel Sabillo, RJ Ledesma, Alyssa Alano, Maureen Keil Santuyo, and Errol Wendel, among others. However, human rights groups claimed the victims were a farmer, community journalist, student leader, peasant organizer, and cultural worker.

"We demand justice for Kai and Lyle, for RJ and Alyssa, for Errol and Maureen, and for the people of Negros as victims of state violence. We demand an immediate and independent investigation into the April 19 and 20 attacks, which can only be called a massacre. We demand the families, lawyers, and human rights advocates be given full access to their loved ones' remains without harassment, interrogation, harm or intimidation," Anakbayan-USA said.

Calls for an independent investigation were mounting, the latest of which was requested by ML Partylist Representative Leila De Lima, to determine the circumstances that led to the deaths of the 19 individuals.