Revenge eyed in slay of businesswoman

CEBU, Philippines - The police believe there is strong possibility that revenge could be one of the motives in the killing of 68-year-old Chinese-Filipino apartment owner in barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City last Thursday afternoon.

This after investigators heard reports on Ana Cue Yu’s family’s alleged maltreatment on their three house helpers, one of them a minor, who were rescued by police last year.

Police records show that on September 19, 2008, authorities have rescued two young girls, aged 17 and 18, from the house of the Yus after they were allegedly maltreated.

A relative of the girls sought assistance from the police after learning that Victor Yu locked them inside the kitchen.

Mitchelle Lawas, a barangay tanod, who was with the police during the rescue, alleged yesterday that after the two girls were taken out of Yu’s house, another house help of the family also escaped some time later for the same complaint. All three house helps are natives of Sindangan, Zamboanga Del Norte.

In their statement recorded in the blotter of the barangay, the three girls alleged that Victor locked them inside the kitchen for two weeks along with a dog and fed the same food given to the animal.

They claimed the food given to them was “gi-ulod na bulad,” which was only suitable for the animal and let them use “inappropriate eating utensils.”

In the same blotter, the companion of the two girls who was not locked with them in the kitchen alleged that they are not allowed to go outside the house because the gates were also locked.

“Padali-dalion mi ug lihok. Kung mahimo, itukmod mi nila, dayun, kung madali ‘sab mi, mahibulong pud sila nganong dali ra kuno kaayo. Wala kuno tarunga ug limpyo mao nang maglibog mi nila. Dayun, padali-dalion pa g’yud mi ug kaon, inurasan pa g’yud mi kung magkaon ug magtrabaho. Malipay na lang mi’g mahuman na kay makapahuway na mi. Wala pa g’yud mi baso, kato rang plastic sa C2. Gipakaon ra mi ug bulad nga salin sa iro,” she said.

It was allegedly the practice of the victim to open the gates herself, as she never allows her house helpers to even go near the gate.

Yu was shot in her left eye by one of the two men who had come knocking on her gate pretending to look for an apartment unit to rent on Calomarde Street.

Homicide investigator SPO4 Alex Dacua said the strongest angle they are looking into as the motive for the attack is the alleged maltreatment by the Yu family on their house helpers.

In an interview with reporters, CCPO director Patrocinio Comendador said they are covering all possible angles in their investigation.

However, he said they have discounted robbery as the motive because the crime was carried out in broad daylight.

Comendador said they would also check what boutique establishments Victor owned and how many apartments were owned by the fatality, as investigators are also looking into the family’s business and personal transactions.

According to him, they could not still determine if the gunman was hired but the latter was said to be really determined to kill the victim.

“If assuming si Victor ang gipanimaslan, naangin na lang ang iyang inahan na si Ana,” Comendador said.

The police are having a hard time in their investigation because her family and the witnesses are allegedly uncooperative.

But Comendador said they expect the Yu family to coordinate with the police after the victim’s burial.

Police are hoping to come up with a cartographic sketch of the gunman based on the helper’s descriptions but the latter, according to Victor, already returned to her hometown in Mindanao.

A security guard in an auto display center across the house will also be asked to help in the investigation.

Dacua said that the security guard had refused to cooperate with them regarding the incident.

Dacua said that other than the house helper and the security guard, several others have also witnessed the incident but all were uncooperative. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/WAB      (THE FREEMAN)