2 taxi drivers shot, robbed in Talisay
Two taxi drivers were shot and robbed in separate incidents in Talisay City yesterday morning.
Jimmy Bantilan, 49, was attacked by four men in sitio Rafael, barangay San Roque, after they hailed his taxi around 2 a.m.
Police said Bantilan was hesitant to hand over his money to the holduppers and and was shot in the jaw.
The robbers took his proceeds of P3,250 cash.
Later in the morning, a taxi was fired upon as it reached the bridge connecting barangays Laray and Tangke.
When the vehicle stopped, with the driver wounded, four men approached and held up driver Jimmy Bacaro and his two passengers, a married couple.
The holdup took place along the South Road Properties (SRP).
Passengers Cristita Cuerda and Marcelo Cuerda, who boarded the taxi in barangay Laray, said they heard a gunshot before they reached the bridge.
“We heard a gunshot and wondered where it came from,” she said.
“We saw the driver bleeding. We pulled over because he was already in pain.”
When the taxi stopped, four young men rushed over and demanded money.
The wounded driver handed them some bills.
The couple was also forced to give their P2,700 cash before the robbers fled toward Talisay City.
Cristita said she noticed one of them came from the center island, holding a gun.
“We were driving fast. I can’t believe that they were still able to shoot us,” said Marcelo Cuerda.
Bacaro, who was hit in the left ear, was rushed by paramedics to the hospital after giving him first aid.
Police said they believe the robbers were lying in wait for taxi drivers or other motorists to pass by so they could ambush them.
They said the gunman was positioned in the center island while the others served as look outs.
In the dawn taxi holdup in barangay San Roque, witnesses described two of the holduppers as teenagers.
Talisay City Police Investigator SPO1 Mikie Espina said police assets also helped identified some suspects and their addresses.
“Witnesses saw the holduppers in the area when the shooting occurred. They saw those who ran away and gave us descriptions,” said Espina in Cebuano.
Police went to the house of some of the suspects but they were not around.
Espina said a background check showed that one of the perpetrators was released from jail last March for a theft case.
Operations to arrest the suspects are ongoing, said police./correspondents rhea ruth rossel, carine asutilla
