THE Philippine Army has continued to investigate the personal documents and belongings of eight individuals allegedly coming from Agusan del Norte that were discovered near the site where government troops and suspected rebels clashed in Bontoc, Southern Leyte.
Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto dela Rosa, commander of 14th Infantry Battalion, believed that the documents “were left by the fleeing members” of the New People’s Army during the firefight on August 18, 2021, that left one soldier and two rebels dead.
The military said they found photos, four cellphones, several identification cards, and eight medical clearances issued by the Municipal Health Office of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte dated April 28, 2021 for the travel of eight residents of Barangay Magdagooc, Jabonga.
The personal belongings were discovered inside a wooden house near the clash site.
According to the Army, the wall of the house “intriguingly bears the marking: “Komander GAS God bless our home Pulang Araw.”
While the military said they are not yet certain that the names appearing in the documents are that of the rebels, they asked why those papers were found near the encounter site.
As this developed, the Army called on the public to help them identify the names of the eight individuals in the documents.
The military published the names and photos of the said individuals on their official Facebook page “802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade, 8ID, Philippine Army.” (SunStar Philippines)