2 hurt in clinic attack

Two workers of a lying-in maternity clinic in Sampaloc, Manila were wounded after being shot by three armed men who were looking for the owners of the place yesterday.

The victims Alma Handa, 29, midwife, and Roseller Magallanes, 45, carpenter, were immediately taken to UST Hospital for treatment.

Police said the incident at the 3 Mary’s Maternity Clinic located at 463 Pureza street, Sampaloc was not a robbery since the suspects did not take any cash or valuable from the clinic or from the employees.

Shortly after the armed men escaped, military men in military fatigues arrived in the clinic and helped secure the area.

SPO2 Santiago Esperida of the Station 4 said the men in uniform were called in by the husband of the clinic’s owner, a certain William Yu.

According to Cathy Nadal, clinic’s nurse, the suspects entered the clinic at around 10:45 a.m. yesterday pretending to be patients.

Once inside, the suspects pulled out their guns and threatened to kill them.

Two of the suspects went straight to the second and third floors of the three-story building while the third suspect tied up Nadal.

The suspects were looking for the clinic’s owner Elisa Yu, who was not around. Handa and Magallanes tried to fight back, prompting the suspects to shoot them.

SPO2 Josefino Buñag said they would coordinate with the clinic owner to determine possible motive of the suspects.

"Perhaps the couple could help us establish the identity of the people who have the motive to do harm against them," Buñag added. – Cecille Suerte Felipe