NPT writer mauled, robbed by gangsters

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Two unidentified persons, believed members of the Bekkel Gang, held up a local journalist and government employee of the provincial capitol of Mountain Province around 7:15 p.m. night of Feb. in a dimly lighted pathway here at Barangay Pico.

Police identified the victim as Francis Degay, a correspondent of the Northern Philippine Times who was brought to the Benguet general hospital for treatment.

Degay suffered contusions on his head, wound in his inner left cheek and abrasion on his right elbow.

He also had difficulty swallowing and felt pain in his right neck as a result of choke by his assailants.

Degay was reportedly on his way about 10 meters towards his in-laws’ house, when he noticed someone was following him so he rushed to open the main gate.

One of his assailants immediately hammered a hard object on his head and choked him.

He shouted for help but no one came to the rescue.

The other suspect immediately covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief suspected to be doused with sleeping drug while taking away his wallet containing some amount of cash, Land Bank ATM card, driver’s license, gun license, among others.

The heist took less than a minute.

As he couldn’t breathe and felt a knife punched in his neck, the victim struggled and fought back.

The victim hit the eyes of the suspect who was in front.

This prompted the suspect to move a bit his hand from covering the nose and mouth of the victim who shouted for help.

He kicked the suspect holding his neck but there was no impact because the suspect was too close.

To get even as he felt that blood oozing from his neck and thought he will die anyway, the victim held the testicles and penis of the suspect.

The victim was left unconscious.

Police Senior Insp. Jimmy Macwes who was near the scene called immediately the personnel of La
Trinidad police station.

After a few minutes, responding police came but Degay’s assailants had left.

Bystanders near the scene told police the suspects ran to the main road leading towards nearby Barangay Puguis.

Neighbors near the crime scene interviewed by police said they heard shouts but ignored these because they thought some locals were just drunk.

It was revealed by the policemen that the strategy of robbers is to choke their victims.

Police said these criminals usually come in twos; one chokes the victim while the other one gets all the money and valuables.

Police said a man was robbed last month near his house by a pair of Bekkel Gang just a stone’s throw away from the recent scene of the robbery using the same style. Some residential houses and individuals who passed the pathway were also robbed in the previous months.

It was learned from Degay that about three years ago, a resolution requesting for three street lights was passed to barangay officials of Pico.

But to date, not a single light was installed. The request was made due to complaints of some victims passing the pathway who were robbed of their money and cellular phones by criminals.

Also, some female victims did not report to the police that their private parts were maliciously touched due to security reasons.

The pathway is a short cut route from km 4 to km 5 and Pines Park barangay and vice versa.

It is accessible to the La Trinidad public market, trading post, municipal government unit, Benguet State University and Benguet general hospital.

People from km 5 also use the same way to km 4 where some big groceries, farm supply stores and auto supplies are located. – By Palsy Face with reports from Caday Sianen M. Almazan