Armed men assault Silay City farm

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines  - Eight armed men barged into the compound of an hacienda in Silay City, Negros Occidental Saturday night, then at gunpoint robbed its overseer of cash and valuables, killed a farm worker, and held hostage the daughter of the victim as they fled.

Silay City Police chief, Supt. Rosauro Francisco, yesterday told The FREEMAN that the robbers, each armed with hand guns, entered the house of Noel Espada, overseer of Hacienda San Diego Dos in Brgy. E. Lopez.

The suspects took P25,000 in cash, P6,000 in gift checks, a digital video camera, a cellular phone, passbook, a credit card and checkbook from Espada, police investigations stated.

Superintendent Milko Lirazan, director of the 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion and Public Safety Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said the suspects may have learned that Espada was scheduled to pay the salaries of the hacienda workers Sunday, prompting them to strike a day earlier.

The suspects also fired at farm workers who tried to help Espada, killing Rodolfo Sobritodo, 46, and wounding Erick Cordero, 37.

Sobritodo succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest, when shot with a .45 caliber pistol by one of the suspects, said Lirazan.

Francisco said the armed men, while fleeing from the pursuing hacienda workers, took hostage 20-year-old Jinky Mary, the daughter of Espada.

She was however released later by the suspects and returned to their home unharmed the next day, Francisco said.

Troopers of the 6th RPSB have joined the Silay Police in tracking down the suspects, some of them were ex-convicts who prey on collectors of lending agencies and companies in Silay City, Victorias City, and the towns of Manapla and E.B. Magalona, Lirazan said. (FREEMAN)