A task force was created by police probers arising from the daring attack on two siblings Thursday morning, resulting in the death of one of them and critically wounding of another, in a hold-up perpetrated in broad daylight along a desolate area in the Corella- Sikatuna highway. Task Force Uy was set in motion according to Police Director Constantino Paul Barot, Jr., to look into the killing of Conchita Uy, 67 of Poblacion , Baclayon. Her elder brother Angelito who is a member of the Baclayon Sangguniang Bayan is still fighting for his life at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu after taking a bullet on the head. He was reported to be in stable condition after suffering from a critical wound in the head. The task force was mandated to conduct the profiling of possible suspects who included previous employees of the Uys.
Following the death of the businesswoman, police ordered an extensive manhunt to capture the perpetrators who showed no qualms in killing their target. The two were the siblings of former Baclayon mayors Felix Uy and Benecio Uy. A long time copra traders, the Uy siblings were already victims of at least three robberies in the past. The hold ups took place in Antequera, Loay and Sikatuna. In those past cases, the robberies were considered “fruitful” as the highway men ran away with the loot as Conchita was reported to have a ready cash just in case a hold up took place. The latest proved to be fatal to Conchita when she was also hit in the head by the two suspects who sidled up in the multicab while navigating the uninhabited part of barangay Canapnapan in Corella. As a victim of several robberies, the Uy brother and sister devised all kinds of tricks to mislead possible pursuers cum stick up artists but the suspects were one step ahead this time.
The idea of riding in a separate vehicle as they did Thursday was resorted apparently thinking that they can put one over the suspects. It used to be that Conchita when doing her copra buying chores in Albur on Wednesdays, Sikatuna on Thursdays, Corella on Mondays, Loay on Fridays and Antequera on Sundays, she would ride on the cargo truck along with the driver and helpers. Last Thursday, the siblings tried a different tack by riding in a separate vehicle only to be waylaid along the way. A series of robberies involving the sister when she was on board the cargo truck during the market days of these towns resulted in the changes in travel pattern. But the hold-up artists knew better than their quarry.
EX-MAYORS
The two Uy brothers both served two nine-year terms in Baclayon as municipal mayor. The younger brother Felix even became a provincial board member. The 67-year-old sister died on arrival at the Ramiro Community Hospital while the brother was in critical condition when rushed to Cebu. A policeman who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media revealed that the incident took place past 8 am Thursday morning. Angelito, 68, a Baclayon town councilor who was driving the white multicab, noticed a Honda XRM motorcycle with two men tailing them and stepped on the gas. This failed to shake off the suspects, however, who gave chase who first fired a warning shot while signaling the victims to stop. When Angelito refused, the suspects fired again, this time at the front wheel on the driver's side. The vehicle was forced to stop when it fell into a narrow ditch on an isolated spot along Barangay Canapnapan, some 12 kms from Tagbilaran.
The suspects demanded that the victims hand over the cash in their possession but Conchita hesitated, prompting one of the suspects to shot her in the back of her head. There were reports that the duo could be bringing anywhere from P300,000 to P500,000 in their copra business that day as prices of the commodity is at an all-time high of P39.00 per kilo. There was no immediate confirmation on how much money was inside the bag that was taken by the holduppers. Trade in the market day of Sikatuna town. The Uys are engaged in the copra buying business among others. A policeman from Baclayon town said this was not the first time that the fatality was held up. She reportedly figured in at least three other previous hold-ups in different towns in the first district.
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