CRIME SCENE. A police officer stands guard at the quarry site in Sitio Perico, Barangay Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City where Roland Sherwin Uy, a councilman of Barangay Carmen and son of 1st District Rep. and mayoralty candidate Rolando Uy, and a caretaker (lying on the ground) were shot dead on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 11, 2021). A special investigation task force has been formed to look into the incident. (PNA photo by Jigger Jerusalem)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Police have set up a special investigation task group (SITG) on Friday to look into the killing of a congressman's son and his business caretaker in Barangay Pagatpat here.
Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar, Police Regional Office (PRO)10 (Northern Mindanao) spokesperson, said in a radio interview the SITG has begun looking into information and pieces of evidence related to the deaths of Roland Sherwin Uy, 45, a councilor of Barangay Carmen; and Samuel Pabalan, 70, the caretaker of the Uy family's sand and gravel business.
Uy was the son of Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Rolando Uy, who is running for a mayoral seat; and brother of Vice Mayor Rainier Joaquin Uy, who is also seeking to replace his father in the congressional seat.
The two were shot by an armed assassin at 1 p.m. Thursday at a quarry site in Sitio Perico, Barangay Pagatpat near the Iponan River.
The gunman, together with an accomplice, reportedly sped off aboard a motorcycle after the incident.
"As what our regional director, Brig. Gen. Rolando Anduyan, ordered, the investigation should have 'no stones left unturned,'” Olaivar said.
Olaivar said the SITG will be chaired by Col. Aaron Mandia, the city police director, and will be supervised by Col. Benedicto Pintor, Northern Mindanao police's deputy director for operations,
Initial findings
A preliminary police investigation revealed that Uy’s killer posed as a sand and gravel buyer.
Rubie Alayuay, the businessman’s driver, said he was inside the comfort room at the quarry site’s office when he heard a man asking Uy for the price of a sand truckload delivery.
Alayuay said he overheard Uy, who was sitting on a folding chair just outside the office, telling the man a truckload costs PHP13,000 with free delivery.
“After that, shots were fired. I was so afraid, so I stayed put,” he added.
Alayuay said he then heard the sound of a motorcycle speeding away from the site after the incident.
“I did not get to see the gunman’s face but I heard that he and (Kagawad Uy) were talking before the shooting,” he told reporters in the vernacular.
Capt. Paulo Benedicto Acosta III, medicolegal officer and team leader of the Philippine National Police’s regional crime laboratory in Northern Mindanao, said both victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
He said Uy bore gunshot wounds in his stomach, head, and arms, while Pabalan also was shot in the head and chest.
Acosta said the victims were shot facing the gunman at medium range.
“The suspect was at least six feet from Uy when he shot him,” he added.
Scene of the crime operatives recovered eight fired cartridge cases and four deformed bullets. Investigators have yet to determine the type of firearm used in the shooting.
Maj. Jerson Estanilla, City Police Station 7 chief, said they were hoping to gather information from potential witnesses since Uy’s driver cannot describe the gunman.
He added the surveillance camera mounted on the ceiling of Uy’s makeshift office has not been functional and the dashboard camera on the victim’s vehicle was not turned on at the time of the shooting.
Estanilla said Uy did not tell his driver there was a threat to his life.
The police officer also said residents did not notice the assailants exiting the site since motorcycle-riding men, usually heavy equipment operators from the quarrying area, are a common sight in Pagatpat.
The Uy family has yet to issue any statement regarding the incident. (PNA)
