Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 director Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos believes that the killing of a robbery suspect last Wednesday was made to silence the man.
“Piyait must die,” Roderos said referring to a term used back in the 1970s and 80s that meant to silence those who will give information to the authorities.
Ricoly Igoy, a suspect in the foiled robbery of the Rural Bank of Cebu South Carcar City branch last April 28 reportedly was being encouraged to become a state witness.
Less than an hour after he got his temporary freedom when his family posted a P100,000 bail last Wednesday, Igoy was waylaid and died on the spot.
Also killed in the ambush at the national highway in barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla was Igoy’s cousin, Ronald Enario, who was driving the car that robbery suspect rode on along with members of his family.
Roderos said Igoy was already convinced to become a state witness.
“The concept they used is piyait must die,” Roderos said, adding that Igoy is already the third robbery suspect in Cebu to have been killed shortly after posting bail.
On July 24, 2007, suspected robbery gang member Brando Babao, 41 and a resident of barangay Villadolid, Carcar City, was gunned down less than an hour after posting bail for an illegal possession of firearms case. He just came from the detention cell of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station and was on his way home during the incident.
He was killed while on board a taxicab together with his family on McArthur Blvd. in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City. He died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Last September 4, Rodulfo Atega Jr., who was a member of the disbanded Casimero “Meloy” Garcia Robbery Group, was also shot and killed by motorcycle-riding men.
He was also in a taxicab when ambushed at the junction of Gen. Maxilom Ave. and D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City.
Atega had just been released on bail from the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan.
Based on the initial body inspection conducted by the SOCO-7, they surmised that Igoy died of gunshot wounds on his head.
Enario, on the other hand, was hit on the left side of his body. Both died on the spot.
Igoy’s wife Annalie was wounded on her left arm, but Ricoly’s mother Liliosa, who was also seated beside him, survived without injury.
Chona, Igoy’s sister, who was seated at the front seat, was also wounded on the left arm.
According to accounts of witnesses, at least three shots rang out before the car was spotted zigzagging until it stopped at the gutter of the road, some 40 meters away from where the shots were fired.
Police investigators recovered two spent shells and documents, including Igoy’s certificate of discharge from jail.
The empty shells will be submitted for ballistic test to determine the caliber and the gun used in the killing.
Roderos said the police authorities were trying to convince Igoy to give information and become a state witness in connection with some other robbery cases in Cebu and squeal on who were his cohorts.
Igoy along with Nelson Gutierrez Jr., his distant relative, tried to rob the Rural Bank of Cebu South and held hostage a bank employee in an attempt to flee when they realized that the police were there.
Igoy was shot during that heist, but survived with gunshot wounds in his right shoulder, right leg, hip and a graze wound on the forehead. Gutierrez died on the spot.
“This is the main angle we are looking right now, the piyait must die, but we are not clearing other possible angles,” Roderos said.
Minglanilla police station chief Romeo Santander is now tasked to prioritize the investigation and identify the people behind the killing of Igoy.
Despite the incident, Roderos said that Central Visayas, particularly Cebu, is still peaceful.
“This is an isolated case,” Roderos pointed out. He added that the fact that responding policemen killed one of the robbers in Carcar only shows that his men are effective and efficient. — Garry B. Lao/NLQ