Two armed men held up a rice dealer store at Libertad Extension in Bacolod City at about 7:30 p.m. Monday, Station 6 commander, Chief Insp. Placido Gentoleo, said yesterday.

Rebecca Bayate, 33, of La Paz District in Iloilo City, owner of Goldmine Rice Station, said the suspects, whose faces were covered with cloth and were armed with .38 caliber revolvers suddenly barged into her store and ordered her helpers to close the door.

Bayate said she and her helpers, Charlyn Untalan of Barotac Nuevo town, and Noriel Legarda of Balasan town, Iloilo province, were brought to the second floor of the store where they were hogtied.

One of the suspects told her he has a conflict with her husband. The suspects then started to search the rooms in the store and took P7,000 in cash colelction, Bayate’s cellular phone, and DVD player, she said.

Her other helper, Michael Demavivas, who had just arrived from Murcia, found out what happened when he was about to enter the store. He fled and reported the incident to Police Station 6 who immediately responded, Gentoleo said.

When the police arrived, the suspects held Bayates and her helpers hostage and threatened to shoot them if the police would take action, Gentoleo also said.

He said the suspects decided to use Bayate as a human shield and forced her to ride on a red motorcycle, but later abandoned her near the Planta Hotel at the Araneta highway in Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod.

Gentoleo said they already have suspects but refused to give details in order not to hamper their ongoing investigation.*APN

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