NTF-ELCAC: Fil-Am activist found in Occidental Mindoro has left PH

Filipino-American activist Chantal Anicoche, who earlier went missing and was later found in Occidental Mindoro, has left the country following an "order to leave" issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Saturday.

In a statement, the NTF-ELCAC said the move concluded the Philippine government’s handling of Anicoche’s case.

“Her departure from the Philippines reflects the collective determination by concerned agencies that her continued presence in the country was no longer necessary under immigration and security considerations,” NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said.

Anicoche was reported missing in Occidental Mindoro on New Year’s Day after allegedly being caught in the middle of a encounter between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA).

NTF-ELCAC clarified that BI's "order to leave" was not “arbitrary” nor a political act, but a "lawful process" based on Anicoche’s own disclosures about her activities.

According to the task force, Anicoche admitted that she traveled to the Philippines to link up with the NPA, had stayed in a rebel camp, and had been involved with international organizations that are part of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ international political and support network.

“Taken together, these circumstances are clear security and immigration concerns that warranted decisive administrative action,” Torres added.

Following Anicoche’s departure, NTF-ELCAC said any further engagement with her would now be up to her home country and family.

“The Philippine government has fully discharged its obligation to handle the matter lawfully, transparently, and humanely,” Torres said.

The task force added that Anicoche’s experience showed how young people could be drawn into conflict zones, putting their lives at serious risk under the guise of “advocacy, immersion, or international solidarity.”

It called on organizations that recruited Anicoche to refrain from circulating her name and images without her family’s consent.

“We caution against attempts to distort this outcome into claims of vindication or wrongdoing by our government," Torres said.

"Such narratives obscure the real dangers of armed conflict and ignore the experiences of families who have lost loved ones after similar paths of radicalization,” he added.

Torres said the task force would intensify efforts to safeguard communities and steer vulnerable youth away from armed groups.

“The task force remains committed to exposing recruitment and grooming networks linked to armed groups, protecting communities, and building peace through law, accountability, and development," he said.

"No political narrative is worth a life, and no ideology justifies placing young people in harm’s way,” Torres added.—MCG, GMA Integrated News