Ricardo Ubay, the man who allegedly molested the daughters of slain hostage-taker Diomedes Talbo has been missing since Wednesday.
Ubay’s neighbors said he disappeared when journalists looked for him in this town. He is the uncle-in-law of the Talbo girls.
In a letter to her grandmother, Rosita, a copy of which is now in the possession of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Lovely said Ubay raped her elder sister, Glaisa (not her real name), and molested her.
It was on account of this letter that Rosita gave Talbo P13,000 and urged him to leave his home in San Mateo, Isabela, Cagayan on May 29 and rescue his daughters.
However, Talbo wound up taking four-year-old Dexter Balala hostage at the Philtranco bus terminal in Pasay City on May 31. Both he and his hostage were killed in a botched rescue attempt by the Pasay police.
Ubay’s neighbors on Tamarind street in Purok 2, Barangay Poblacion in Trento town told reporters that Ubay left his tricycle at the market last Wednesday afternoon, after his name was mentioned in television newscasts.
Ubay’s children, Leonides, 16 and Edgar, 14, however, said their father is not hiding, but has been looking for their elder sister Ritchel, who has been missing since April 4.
Ritchel was believed to have been recruited by a 45-year-old man identified only as George. Ubay, the boys said has been searching for his daughter for nearly two months now.
"Duha na kabulan si Ate nawala. Naguol gyud mi ug si Tatay (It’s been two months that my elder sister has been missing. We and our father are worried)," Leonides said.
"Di man tinuod nga gui-rape ni Tatay ang anak ni Auntie Florida (It’s not true that my father raped one of Auntie Florida Talbo’s daughters)," he added, reacting to questions about the allegations Ubay raped Glaisa.
A native of this town, Florida Solis Talbo, 36, was Diomedes’ first wife with whom she had three children, a boy and two girls. The marriage broke up in 1997 and Florida brought her children with her when she returned to her hometown, living with Ubay, her brother-in-law.
Florida then took on work overseas and is still on her first year of employment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Trento municipal social worker Teresita Cañas told The STAR that Florida may come home anytime next week after hearing of the incident.
Cañas told The STAR she first met Glaisa on November 20, 2000 at the principal’s office of the Trento National High School, where Glaisa was then a third-year high school student.
The social worker said Glaisa, with the help of third-year teacher-in-charge Yolanda Tagal and principal Nena Tuazon, told her that her grandfather, Juan Solis, touched her private parts on several occasions and tried to rape her once.
The severe emotional stress of incidents of molestation cause Glaisa to tell her classmates about her ordeal. the girls’ friends reported the abuse to Tuazon, who sought Cañas’ help. The social worker said she tried to convince Glaisa to tell her uncle, Artemio Solis, about the sexual abuse she was undergoing at the hands of her grandfather, but Glaisa refused to do so.
"Glaisa’s mother arrived about June of last year to enroll her children here. Tagal and Tuazon informed her about Glaisa’s complaints and Florida broke up in tears saying she felt pity for her children," Cañas said.
Florida also told Tagal and Tuazon that she had no choice but to return to Dubai, since the loss of her job meant she would be unable to put her children through school.
Tagal said the Talbo children received allowances from heir mother and added that she once heard Glaisa complain that of P20,000 sent to them by their mother, only P1,000 reached them.
"Inutang pa nga raw yung P1,000 ng kanyang mga kamag-anak. Kaya palaging walang pera ang mga Talbo daughters (the P1,000 was borrowed by relatives. That is why the Talbo daughters always have no money)," Tagal told The STAR.
"We could have arrested Ubay if only (Glaisa) kept to our agreement that she would stay temporarily with her sister and brother in our house or at Cañas’ house so she can avoid (Ubay), but she did not keep to our agreement," Masapit said.
"I pity (Glaisa). I believe she is telling the truth and I am ready to help her," Masapit added, despite the fact that he is now on sick leave.
Masapit’s daughter told the STAR she and other friends of Glaisa are willing to testify that she told them that Ubay raped her in October 2001: "That is why they wrote (the letter to their grandmother), because Ubay was beginning to become lascivious with Glaisa’s sister, Lovely."