The female foreigner seen on Sunday with New People’s Army rebels in Surigao province in Southern Philippines is a Belgian national, the military said.
The woman who has joined a 150-man rebel band in a recent attack on military troopers is known by her nom de guere as Ka Luna, said Col Jose Vizcara, commanding officer of the 401st Infantry Brigade.
Vizcara said the woman from Belgium has been identified but her identity is being kept by the military which secured data on her from the flight manifest of an airline.
Vizcara moved to the Philippines to join the NPA, but could not yet established how long she has been in Surigao, said the military.
Ka Luna was reportedly spotted by civilians tending to wounded communist rebels after a four-hour gunbattle last Sunday in Barangay Hinapuyan, Carmen in Surigao del Sur. About 10 rebels attacked an outpost of the 23rd Infantry Battalion. Cpl. Jadjuri, team leader of the 24 troopers manning the base was killed, according to team Major Michele Anayron, Jr.
The troopers repulsed the rebel attackers killing three of them including a certain ka Salem.
Filed under: Military, NEW PEOPLES ARMY, NPA, surigao | Tagged: belgian national, npa. military, surigao
