Largo reveals offer to kill Kap
The alleged gunman in the killing of barangay captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta has denied shooting the official to death but divulged someone has asked him to do so.
Jimmy Largo said that even before Rupinta was ambushed last week, someone reportedly approached him and offered money for him to eliminate the official.
He reportedly rejected the offer because he has been friends with Rupinta even before the latter became barangay captain. Rupinta reportedly has helped him in many ways.
“Dili na nako mabuhat. Tawo man gud ko niya, gud. Daghan na siya og natabang nako,” Largo said.
He did not disclose the identity of the one who made the offer but hinted the offer to kill had something to do with politics.
The other day, police have set the politics angle aside, saying the killing was related more to Rupinta's work as barangay captain.
Rupinta was ambushed by men on board motorcycles while he and his wife, Jocelyn Mendoza, were driving home last Thursday night in Liloan town.
ALIBI
Largo said he was at the Carbon Market in Cebu City when the ambush occurred and some vendors there can reportedly testify in his favor.
He said he arrived in Cebu City only at 6 p.m. that day, November 23, from Aloguinsan where he got a barangay clearance for one of his men who was arrested for illegal gambling.
“Naa ra man ko sa ako kapehan naminaw og balita… kuyog man gani nako ato ang igsuon ni Kap (Rupinta). Nakabantay nalang mi nga nagdinaganay na kay i-rescue daw si Kap. Muapil gani unta ko didto sa pag-rescue,” Largo said.
Less than 24 hours later, operatives of the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) arrested him also at the Carbon market.
Mendoza reportedly identified him as one of those who ambushed them.
“Anggid-anggid daw nako (suspect),” Largo said.
During the arrest, police recovered from him a bag that contained a 9mm caliber submachine gun with live ammunition, a caliber .45 with ammunition, a hand grenade, and two medium packs of suspected shabu.
He admitted, though, of owning the firearms but said he bought the same several months ago and planned to resell them. He denied owning the hand grenade and suspected shabu.
“Mugamit ko pero dili mamaligya,” he said.
Largo had been convicted of murder for killing snatchers in 2002 allegedly upon Rupinta's orders.
“Sauna, gisugo ko niya. Maoy hinungdan ato nga napriso ko… total, mga snatcher man pud… dakpon namo sa akto niya ug musukol, aw, pusilon nalang,” he disclosed.
He denied, though, that he belongs to a gun for hire group. He also denied knowing notorious gunman Jessie Largo who police said is his distant cousin.
Largo said he will fight the charges in court.
“Ako ni suklan ang ilang gibutang-butang sa akua. Wala man tay mahimo ana. Pagdepensa lang nako sa akong kaugalingon,” he said.
REVIEW
Following Rupinta's ambush, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) – 7, is urging legislators to revisit existing laws.
"This next-level generation of criminalities, particularly those committed by persons riding-in tandem, is an indication that there is really a dire need for our policy-makers, Congress in the national level, and local councils in the LGU (local government unit) level, to revisit and review our existing policies in addressing these modern-day criminalities," said CHR-7 Director, Atty. Arvin Odron.
CHR-7 said the “grievous” act of killing Rupinta not only manifests people's lack of respect for human rights and lack of regard to the rule of law.
Odron lamented that criminals are rather taking advantage of the loopholes in the decades-old system.
"We all know that our law enforcement sector is absolutely tied, in the sense that they can operate only in accordance with the existing legal framework," he said.
Particularly, he is asking policy makers to revisit policies that regulate the use of two-wheeled vehicles.
"There should be measures adopted to ensure that occupants of single motorcylcles can be identified with ease or that sort. On what measure would be, we will leave it to the policy makers, we can only recommend, as this is not our mandate," he said.
Moreover, Odron said laws that limit the powers of law enforcement should also be reviewed in a way that "laws must adapt to the changing environment."
In Australia, for one, authorities are all equipped with hand-held radio.
"Equipping our police with hand-held radios is important in catching criminals without resorting to the use of firearms. They can easily contact the next station to put up a checkpoint," he said.
Other countries use specialized electronic gadgets or devices.
"The gadget is connected to the database of all important government agencies... Once they apprehend a suspect, they will immediately know if the subject has pending warrant of arrest or any derogatory record. And so, they can act accordingly," he said.