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10
Boholanos robbed in
cootabato highway
Seven students and three teachers coming from schools here
in Tagbilaran City were held-up by six unidentified armed
men in Carmen, North Cotabato yesterday afternoon.
The
students and teachers were among delegates, representing Central
Visayas, to the National Schools Press Conference hosted by
Koronadal City, South Cotabato last February 18 to 22.
The
victims were onboard a Rural Transit bus, together with 26
other passengers, that left Koronadal City for Cagayan de
Oro City about 9:30 a.m. yesterday.
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They
were identified as Themistocles Bongcac, Ma. Nenita
Mandin, Natividad Bagaipo, teacher-coaches; Bjorn Ebojo
of Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School; Mark Ed
Decierdo of Tagbilaran City Science High School; Gabrielle
Dagayan and Darlene Acedo of CVSCAFT-Tagbilaran; Daryl
Bernaldez, Cielo Tumale and Nestor Naparota of Holy
Name University.
Bagaipo,
one of the victims told the Chronicle that the bus they
boarded made a stop-over in Cabacan, North Cotabato
around noontime for lunch.
After
having lunch, the passengers boarded back the bus but
noticed that there were six new passengers who were
"strong looking and dark complexioned".
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The
six men reportedly positioned themselves strategically on
the bus.
After
about a 30 minute drive when the bus came to an isolated area,
Bagaipo said, all the six men stood and shouted "Hold
up ito". At this point she and the rest of the passengers
noticed that all of the six men were armed.
The
robbers seized all valuables from passengers while they kept
shouting instructions for them to put their heads down.
According
to Bagaipo, one 19-year old male passenger was shot by the
suspects to the chest. (to follow up update - name and condition)
While
the armed men were taking off valuables, Bagaipo said, she
managed to draw her cellular phone from her bag and dropped
it on the floor as she was hoping to contact relatives regarding
the incident.
"I
didn't see what happened to the other passengers as I was
bending my head towards the floor, as low as I can,"
she said, "but I can hear all their (armed robbers) shouts
and threats that they will kill us if we reported to the police."
The
highway robbery happened just a few minutes, as the suspects
fled aboard three Honda XRM motorcycles that were just parked
at the roadside.
The
victims reported the incident at the Carmen Municipal Police
Station.
Most
of the victims lost their bags and wallets with cash, ATM
cards, credit cards, watches, cellular phones, cameras, and
jewelries.
FINANCIAL
AID
After
learning of the incident, First District Rep. Edgar Chatto
called up his congressional colleague Rep. Lala Mendoza of
North Cotabato.
Mendoza
immediately dispatched a staff who handed P30,000 to the 10
victims from Bohol which will partly shoulder travel expenses
going back to Tagbilaran City.
They
are scheduled to take a ferry today from Cagayan de Oro to
Tagbilaran.
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