Army ties doctor, nurse to NPA following Ifugao clash

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — A doctor and a nurse were linked by the military to the New People’s Army following a Feb. 12 clash between the Philippine Army soldiers and suspected communist rebels in a remote village in Ifugao province.

The identification card, cash machine cards and the professional license of Dr. Ana Marie Leung were allegedly discovered at a rebel camp that was abandoned following the Sunday firefight in Barangay (village) Namal in Asipulo town.

A postal identification card belonging to Isabelle Anne Ramos, a nurse from Quezon City, was also found at the area, said Capt. Jefferson Somera, community relations officer of the Philippine Army’s  54th Infantry Battalion which took custody of the rebel camp at Sitio (subvillage) Pinugao.

The rebels abandoned an M16 rifle, bullets and laptop computers at the camp following the hour-long battle.

Army officials said the families of Leung and Ramos could claim these cards from the 54IB base in Kiangan town.

But Somera said the Philippine Army would request the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the contents of the ATM cards’ bank accounts, which might have been used by the rebels, Somera said.

The Army’s 5th Infantry Division’s Judge Advocate is also studying whether there were grounds to charge Leung and Ramos.  SFM