‘Imok’ family’s cry: Get mastermind

Councilor Efe Rupinta, acting Ermita barangay captain (right),and an Ermita official show the petition calling for a speedy justice in the murder of Ermita Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta during a Dec. 28, 2017 press briefing at the Ermita covered court./ CDN FILE PHOTO

It has been a year since her father, slain Ermita Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta, was killed in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion town.

But Efe Rupinta, who is also Ermita’s acting barangay captain, remains optimistic about capturing the mastermind behind her father’s death.

“Me and my family are grateful (that) investigators captured the gunmen but we’re still seeking for justice since the mastermind is still out there,” said Efe.
“But we are still optimistic that the mastermind will be finally caught,” she added.
Yesterday, Friday (November 23), marked Imok’s 1st death anniversary.

Mass, grave visit Efe told reporters in an interview yesterday that their family offered a Mass at the corner of Capulay’s Barbecue in in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion, where the crime happened, then visited her father’s grave at the Queen City Memorial Park.

Photo exhibit
She said that they, together with the barangay officials of Ermita, also gave a tribute to the late village chief by opening a photo exhibit at the Ermita Sports Complex.

“The photo exhibit is one way on honoring his legacy in Ermita, and to remind our constituents of everything that he has accomplished,” Efe said.

Waylaid
Imok and his common-law wife,Jocelyn Mendoza, were on their way home to Eastland Subdivision, Barangay San Vicente in Liloan town on Nov. 23, 2017 when two motorcycles waylaid the Isuzu D-Max he was driving, and opened fire.

Mendoza was unharmed.

The alleged gunmen, identified as Jimmy Largo and Jordan Gera, were arrested a week after the crime, but they vehemently denied the accusations.

Former Cebu City Market Operations Chief and Ermita Barangay Councilman Winefredo Miro was initially accused of being the mastermind.

But in June this year, the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the murder charges lodged against him for lack of evidence.

The camp of Mendoza pointed to Miro as the mastermind.

They cited the conflict between Imok and Miro over “the control and dominance of the vendors association and other sources of income at the Carbon market” as a possible motive.

Market fee collection
But presently, Efe said the city government and the local government of Barangay Ermita are now “at peace” over the collection of market fees in Carbon Public Market.

“So far, there’s no conflict between the city and Barangay Ermita. The money we are collecting from Carbon market is the barangay’s largest source of income,” said Efe.

She said that they had been able to collect at most P19,000 daily from vendors paying the P10-market fee voluntarily.

“The income from collecting the market fees will be used as additional funds to continue the barangay’s basic services such as providing salaries to garbage collectors,” she said.