
Caraga cops jail 267 wanted persons
A TOTAL of 267 wanted persons were hauled to jail by agents of the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO7) in May amid its stepped-up effort to account for all lawbreakers in Caraga region ordered arrested by the court, officials said on Sunday.
Out of 267 suspects arrested, 46 were classified as Most Wanted Persons or MWPs while the remaining 220 were categorized as Other Wanted.
The Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office made the biggest number of arrest with 64. Among those sent behind bars by the Surigao del Sur PPO last month was the region’s no. one most wanted person, Joel Belandres, also known as ‘Abarka.’
Belandres, a 51-year-old member of the CPP/NPA is wanted for three counts of murder, five counts of frustrated murder and attempted murder. He was tagged as a former member of the Guerilla Front 19, Sub-Regional Sentro de Grabidad (SRSDG) of the CPP/NPA’s North Eastern Mindanao Regional who is known to have led a number of CPP/NPA atrocities in the region prior to his capture.
Other arrests were made by the Butuan City Police Office with 59; the Agusan del Sur PPO with 55; Surigao del Norte PPO with 52; Agusan del Norte PPO with 28; and the Dinagat Islands PPO with 9 arrests.
According to PRO13 director, Brigadier General Pablo G. Labra II, of the 267 arrested; five were considered as MWPs at the regional level; 16 at the Provincial Level; and 26 at the Municipal Level.
“These figures highlight the comprehensive approach taken by the PNP Caraga in addressing wanted personalities across different jurisdictions,” he said.
Philippine National Police chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. commended the Caraga policemen for their significant accomplishments in the campaign against most wanted persons.
“The successful operations conducted by the PNP Caraga demonstrate the unwavering commitment of our police force to maintain peace and order in our communities. I extend my sincerest appreciation to the dedicated men and women who risk their lives daily to bring criminals to justice. Your actions serve as an inspiration to all law enforcement personnel across the country,” the top cop said.