In less than 24 hours, operatives from the Regional Special Operations Group (Rsog) of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 caught the suspected gunman in the fatal ambush of Ermita, Cebu City Barangay Captain Felicisimo Rupinta.

Jimmy Largo, 41, an ex-convict, was identified by a witness as the one who ambushed them in Sitio Simborio, Tayud, Liloan last Thursday night.

“He is a high-value target of the Police Station 9 of the Cebu City Police Office and he is also included in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency watch list,” said Chief Supt. Jose Espino, PRO 7 director.

Espino said that they’ve also identified the mastermind of the ambush.

“We are just preparing the affidavit and we will file this case against those who hired Jimmy Largo. They call themselves the Jimmy Largo Group, local gun-for-hires,” Espino said.

Supt. Rey Magdaluyo, Rsog 7 chief, said that they arrested Largo inside the latter’s house on F. Gonzales St. near the Carbon Public Market in Barangay Ermita.

Ongoing manhunt

“He was about to flee. He had packed a bag, which contained a white shirt that he may have worn during the ambush,” he said in Tagalog.

Largo, though, denied that he was the gunman.