The Bohol Chronicle
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.
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".
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.
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