THE man who was arrested Thursday dawn for being a suspect in the shooting of Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante's bodyguard was a former barangay captain, police said.
Luduvico Oroquero, 54, former chief of Barangay Montealegre, was nabbed in a hot pursuit operation Thursday dawn in Tuburan town, one of the potential election hot spots in Cebu province.
He was arrested around 3 a.m. and police recovered from his possession several firearms and ammunition.
Police were still validating whether Oroquero was affiliated with a political group in Tuburan.
Police Regional Office-Central Visayas Director Patrocinio Comendador Jr. said Oroquero was the only one arrested among the three identified suspects, "but we believed there were 12 of them."
He said the police cannot also tell yet whether the firearms seized from the suspect belong to a private armed group.
"We don't have yet a particular list regarding those groups (private armed groups)," Comendador said.
He added that based on the evidences acquired, the firearms were unlicensed.
He said the PRO will designate additional police personnel in Tuburan after the incident.
Oroquero was tagged as suspect in the killing of Rene Cangmaong, a former New People's Army member and bodyguard of Diamante, who is running for Tuburan mayor under the Liberal Party. (Antoneth Geotoro and Merry Meldred Bardinas, CNU interns/Sunnex)