Who are Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem, the two Fil-Ams killed in Negros?

TOBOSO, Negros Occidental — Two Filipino-Americans have been identified among the 19 individuals killed in the April 19 encounter between government troops and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Salamanca, raising renewed attention on the presence of foreign nationals in insurgency-related activities in the country.

Authorities confirmed Kontra Kwento's earlier report that at least two Filipino Americans, later identified as Lyle G. Prijoles, 40, of Hayward, California, and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, 26, of Tacoma, Washington, were among those killed. Both have already been claimed by their respective families, as part of the full identification of all 19 fatalities as of April 25.

Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc., the national federation of former rebels and people’s organizations, said the publicly-available profiles of the two US-based national democratic activists align with patterns observed in the Communist Party of the Philippines’s international solidarity work, where overseas-based organizers are invited to enter NPA units and be exposed to local conditions that lead to deeper involvement in the movement’s political and, at times, armed structures.

Lyle and Kai

Available records show that Prijoles had longstanding involvement in overseas Filipino activist networks. He was affiliated with national democratic organizations Anakbayan-USA and League of Filipino Students-San Francisco State University for the past 16 years, where he served as Education Officer from 2016 to 2019 of the former and Solidarity Officer from 2012 to 2016 of the latter.

He studied Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, with academic focus on journalism and history. His profile reflects sustained engagement in advocacy work related to Filipino communities abroad.

Lyle Prijoles (right) during earlier exposure trips to the Philippines, with then Anakbayan National Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo in late 2009.

Meanwhile, Sorem was a founding member of Anakbayan South Seattle. In 2014, she previously served as a “page” for the Washington State House Democrats, a role typically given to students selected to assist in legislative operations, including delivering documents and supporting daily activities on the House floor. She was raised in Steilacoom, had family in Tacoma, and lived in the Seattle area.

In a tribute post by Anakbayan USA, Sorem was described as having been inspired to join activist work in 2020 while studying to become a music instructor at Central Washington University. The group said she became politically active following global events such as the killing of George Floyd, which she reportedly linked to issues in the Philippines, including the war on drugs and the Anti-Terror Law. She later helped establish Anakbayan South Seattle and served as one of its founding solidarity officers.

YOUNGER DAYS. Kai Sorem as a "page" for the Washington State House Democrats in 2014, a role typically given to students selected to assist in legislative operations, including delivering documents and supporting daily activities on the House floor. Photo courtesy of WASHINGTON STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATS website.

Authorities have yet to release detailed information on how both individuals came to be in the area where the armed clash occurred.

Concerns on Integration of foreign nationals

The presence of foreign nationals among those killed has been noted by Buklod Kapayapaan, which has previously warned about the role of international networks in the CPP-NPA-NDFP’s operations. 

The group is currently in Negros Island for the NABANGANI: Negros Island Fact-Finding, Solidarity, and Relief Mission for Truth, Justice, and Community Protection. The mission is focused on investigating a series of alleged summary killings attributed to the CPP-NPA across the island, including cases linked to individuals reportedly involved in the April 19 encounter.

In an earlier statement involving a separate case of a Filipino-American linked to insurgency activities, Buklod Kapayapaan pointed out that international solidarity work linked to the CPP is not limited to advocacy.

“International solidarity work is not only about advocacy, as it also functions as a transnational support network for organizing, recruitment, propaganda, alliance-building, and resource generation for the CPP-NPA-NDFP,” the group said.

The federation added that such networks allow the movement to extend its influence beyond the Philippines and facilitate the entry of foreign nationals into local operations.

“This infrastructure allows the CPP to project influence beyond Philippine borders and channel material and political support back into its armed campaign at home,” the group said.

Buklod Kapayapaan has also previously cited cases where foreign-based activists were brought into the country for what it described as exposure activities that may lead to deeper involvement in armed struggle.

Pattern Seen in Previous Cases

The case of Prijoles and Sorem echoes earlier incidents involving foreign nationals and Filipino-Americans linked to insurgency areas.

In a previous engagement, Buklod Kapayapaan cited the experience of Filipino-American Chantal Anicoche who survived an encounter and was later repatriated, describing it as an example of how individuals may be drawn into conflict zones through international networks.

The group emphasized that leaving such environments is often a long and difficult process, requiring sustained support from families and institutions.

“Leaving armed struggle is not a single moment but a long process of unlearning, healing, and making different and difficult choices every day,” the group said.

Continuing Questions

The issue, according to sources familiar with conditions on the ground, is no longer that Prijoles and Sorem began as legal national democratic activists, but why they were present in an active conflict zone where a prolonged armed encounter took place.

Former rebels in Negros, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it has become a recurring narrative to describe such individuals as mere “activists” conducting research or immersion with farming communities. However, they stressed that presence in guerrilla areas during active operations indicates active involvement within structures that support or operate alongside armed units.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines maintains that those killed were part of the NPA unit encountered during operations, while some groups continue to raise questions and call for further scrutiny.

As investigations continue, the case of the two Filipino-Americans underscores a broader issue of how individuals from overseas activist networks come to be in conflict-affected areas, and what roles they ultimately assume within these spaces.