Gunmen kill scion of one of Cagayan de Oro’s political families

Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot and killed a son of Cagayan de Oro 1st District Representative Rolando Uy at a quarry site in Barangay Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro, past 1 pm on Thursday, November 11.

Police identified the victims as 45-year-old Roland Sherwin “Tawi” Uy and his 73-year-old aide Samuel Pabalan.

Investigators did not rule out that the killings could be the first case of election-related violence in the city given that one of the victim’s congressman-father is running for Cagayan de Oro mayor in the 2022 elections.

The younger Uy’s mother Lorna is the barangay chairperson of Carmen while his brother Reineir Joaquin is Cagayan de Oro’s vice mayor who filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman in the city’s 1st District.

The victim himself was a politician and was serving as a councilor of Carmen, the most populous barangay in Cagayan de Oro.

Staff Master Sergeant Roldan Sayatao said Uy and Pabalan were attacked at a quarry site in Zone 1, Barangay Pagatpat at around 1:05 pm.

Sayatao said police found Uy shot to the left eye and slumped on a folding chair while Pabalan was shot to the right eye.

A witness said he was in the toilet when he overheard Uy having a conversation with other men.

“They pretended to be buyers of sand and gravel. What followed were gunshots,” the witness said. “I was afraid. I was trembling. I don’t know how many shots were fired.”

The witness, who was also working for Uy, said the suspects then sped off on a motorcycle. – Rappler.com