Bigtime rob suspect falls

Notorious robber Ricardo Uy Jr., who also goes by the alias "Jun Halap", was arrested by policemen last Thursday afternoon in Tambulig town, Zamboanga del Sur.

Uy, who is suspected to be involved in a series of robberies in Cebu, was arrested via warrant by the elements of the Provincial Mobile Group of Zamboanga del Sur.

Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief Paul Labra said that the information he received yesterday was that Uy was arrested while in the company of a woman in Tambulig town. He did not resist arrest.

Labra said Uy is the most wanted man in that region with a P250,000 bounty on his head.

Uy, a native of Lawis, Ozamiz City, was a breakaway member of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng robbery group. He now allegedly runs a gang that conducts robberies in Zamboanga del Sur and Ozamiz as well as the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay in Cebu province.

Former CPPO director Jose Antonio Salvacion said his group was responsible for the P10-million bank robbery in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur in 1999; the Monterey meat shop robbery in barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City; the robbery of GP Dental Supply in barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City and the robbery of Ester Pharmacy in Lapu-Lapu City a few years back.

Despite this Labra said no case has been filed against him by the establishments he and his group allegedly hit. - Flor Z. Perolina