The man they accuse of killing 82

Former Mayor Rey Uy of Tagum City has been charged with allegedly ordering the death squad-style killings of at least 82 persons in his city during his term.

Tagum, a city in Davao del Norte province that has boomed practically overnight because of gold mining activities in neighboring towns, is home to drug addicts, drug pushers and traffickers, street robbers, burglars, bag-snatchers, and murderers.

During Uy’s time, the lowlife population was not as big. As a result, the city was peaceful.

With Uy gone (his three terms had expired so he could not run in the last election), Tagum has become a playground for drug pushers, drug traffickers, street robbers, burglars, bag snatchers and murderers who cowered in fear and left the city during his time.

The few criminals who dared to stay and prey on hapless citizens when Uy was mayor of the city were among the 82 persons, whom he described as “weeds,” that the former mayor is being accused of eliminating.

With former Mayor Uy now Citizen Uy, many of the lowlife are back in the city to sow terror on hapless citizens.

Many homes are being broken into, illegal drugs are sold openly in the streets, and citizens are afraid to roam around after dark or in isolated places for fear of being mugged or killed.

The citizens of Tagum pine for the days when the city was peaceful.

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Have you met the man who has been accused of ordering the murders of 82 people by the National Bureau of Investigation?

I had the chance of knowing Rey Uy and I can tell you without batting an eyelash that he’s one of the most mild-mannered, humble and compassionate persons I’ve met.

When I visited Uy after Supertyphoon “Pablo” struck Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental in 2012, he was preparing foodstuff in his home for calamity victims not only in his city but also in other places as well.

When I first met him, I didn’t recognize him immediately as he was dressed like a “trabahador” (laborer) doing carpentry work at the city’s engineering depot.

Uy was making chairs and tables for classrooms in various public schools from illegal logs seized by the city.

When I ribbed him about the city being a “killing field,” he told me matter-of-factly that the perpetrators were incorrigible criminals who preyed on hapless citizens and were warned to leave the city but stayed on.

Like Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte, who is also suspected of being behind the street executions of hardened criminals in his city, Uy is loved and adored by the people of Tagum.

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Everything is over but the counting of ballots in the recall election in Puerto Princesa City set for next month.

Former Mayor Edward Hagedorn is being pitted against incumbent Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

Bayron’s   act of tearing a piece of paper in front of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official supervising the counting of signatures for a recall is one of desperation.

Bayron became upset when the Comelec stopped the counting after reaching 24,413 signatures which are way over the required 15 percent of the city’s voting population.

Puerto Princesa City under the administration of Bayron has suffered a big economic slump as tourist arrivals in the city dwindled considerably.

As a result, most hotels, restaurants and tourist shops in the city, which is dependent on tourism, have closed down or have laid off their employees.

If Hagedorn wins, which many think is already a foregone conclusion, the city’s tourism industry will again flourish as it did during his tenure.