“MUINGON gyud ko nga si Wine Miro, hari sa tanan nga bakakon (I can really say that former Cebu City Market Office operations chief Winefredo Miro is the king of liars).”
This was how Jocelyn Mendoza, common-law wife of ambushed Ermita Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta, answered speculations that she may have orchestrated the killing of the village chief.
The pronouncement came as a response to the counter-affidavit filed by Miro last Monday before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.
Miro is now facing criminal charges after he was identified as the alleged mastermind in the ambush-slay of Rupinta in Liloan town last Nov. 23.
Murder and attempted murder complaints were lodged by the Police Regional Intelligence Division against Miro last December.
Former Police Regional Office 7 Director Jose Espino said they have strong evidence against Miro, and that they have already ruled out politics as a motive.
The murder charge was for Rupinta’s death, while the attempted murder was for Mendoza, who was with the former during the attack.
In his counter-affidavit filed Monday morning, Feb. 5, Miro asked the prosecutors office to dismiss the criminal charges filed against him for lack of probable cause, and that a thorough investigation instead be directed to Mendoza.
He alleged that Mendoza is the “unscathed survivor” and the person who is the most knowledgeable as to the possible reason why somebody had an interest to kill Rupinta.
In a press conference yesterday, Mendoza belied the accusations on her alleged involvement in the ambush-slay of her partner.
“Boang diay ko nga musakay sa sakyanan nga ambusan ug tusak-tusakon sa mga bala? Unsa diay, magpili na ang bala ug kinsa ang ig-on? Mao kana ang ilhanan sa tawo’ng sad-an, pasagad na lang og pamasangil (Am I that crazy to be in a vehicle that will be ambushed and will be riddled with bullets? Do bullets choose whom to hit? That’s the mark of a person who is guilty, accusing just anyone),” she said.
She also slammed Miro for claiming that he and Rupinta were on amicable terms prior to the controversial barangay captain’s death.
Miro said Rupinta was already “friendly” with him since the latter had expressed interest in joining again Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK). Rupinta had been known as an ally of Barug Team Rama after he and BOPK had a falling out.
“Ayaw og pangangkon ug ayaw bakaki ang imong kaugalingon kay kabalo ko hasta ikaw dili mudawat ni Imok isip amigo (Don’t make such claims and tell yourself lies because you know that you can’t even accept Imok as a friend),” Mendoza said.
Mendoza lamented that since her partner’s death, her family’s life has not been the same. She has two children with Rupinta, a 14-year-old and a six-year-old.
She also told reporters that Rupinta was planning on retiring from politics to focus on their family.
“Kahibaw ko na ipapatay sad ko. Kaya gani makuha ang alas sa P500,000 lang, unsa pa kaha ang Joker nga tag P50,000 lang (I know they want me dead. They can even kill the ace at P500,000, how much the joker at only P50,000)?” she said. (RTF)