DON’T give the country’s wanted persons the opportunity to have a sound sleep.

This was the instruction given anew by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos to all 17 Police Regional Offices and different PNP national operational units.

The top cop said he wants his men in the field to ensure that persons covered with warrants of arrest issued by different courts specifically those involved in heinous crimes like rape, murder, homicide, robbery-holdup, car, motorcycle theft and terrorism are accounted for immediately.

“We should further intensify our effort to account for these wanted persons so that they would be made answerable for their crimes. By doing so, we will also be able to give justice to their victims,” Gen. Carlos said.

The PNP chief has ordered the 17 Police Regional Offices led by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) under Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. to go after all wanted persons in their areas of jurisdiction to prevent the possibility that they may commit more crimes.

“Team NCRPO together with other PNP units, is continuing our intensified campaign to incarcerate lawless elements and wanted persons in the metropolis,” said Maj. Gen. Danao.

The same directive was given to the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) headed by Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius D. Ferro, PNP Highway Patrol Group under Brigadier Gen. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil and the PNP Intelligence Group headed by Brig. Gen. Neil B. Alinsañgan.

The PNP-CIDG is going all-out against all wanted persons while the PNP-HPG is busy tracking down persons covered with warrants of arrest for violation of the anti-carnapping law. On the other hand, the PNP-IG specifically focuses its attention in capturing most wanted terrorists including New People’s Army, Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group personalities in the country.

PNP’s Oplan: Pagtugis or the intensified manhunt operations against wanted criminals has enabled the police force to account for thousands of wanted men since 2016.

Gen. Carlos said that 2021 was a banner year for law enforcement as they scored many milestones in the campaign against illegal drugs and terrorism amid the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Aggressive police operations and other police interventions led to the arrest of lawless elements that somehow reduced the number of crimes,” the PNP chief said.

He added that their 2021 operations against wanted persons resulted in the capture of 95 of the country’s Top Most Wanted Persons, the killing of four in gunbattles with arresting officers and the surrender of two others.

Among the PNP’s most notable accomplishments in 2021 was the arrest of Monteson Ignacio Jr. who is wanted for homicide, frustrated murder, murder, and attempted carnapping. The suspect who carries a P550,000 bounty on his head was captured last June 17.

The PNP last year also served warrants of arrest against 69,077 other wanted persons, 405 of whom had surrendered and 122 died during police operations.

In a campaign against terrorism, the PNP figured in 96 government-initiated encounters that resulted in the neutralization of 5,487 personalities identified with terrorist groups while operatives confiscated 1,148 small arms and light weapons (SALW).

Among the notable accomplishments in this campaign were the arrest of Ma. Salome Crisostomo-Ujano on November 14, Ma. Loida Magpatoc on September 15, and Gavino Manaig Panganiban a.k.a. Nori/Rato/Momoy on August 6.

Ujano has an outstanding warrant of arrest for rebellion, Magpatoc has a standing warrant of arrest for murder, while Panganiban for murder and rebellion. The said rebels were the subject of a bounty of P5 million, P5.3 million and P4.5 million, respectively.

Last week, Police Regional Office 4-B (PRO 4-B) director, Brigadier Gen. Sydney S. Hernia said they are making it a top priority this year to fully address incidents of rape in Mimaropa not only by accounting for wanted rapists but also by raising the public awareness about its evils and how police can help them go after these sex fiends, whether they are from own family or not.

The official made the announcement as he announced the capture of Mimaropa regions’ 9th most wanted person—a 47-year old resident of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro who is wanted for a non-bailable rape case.

According to the official, suspect Marlon Lamonte was tracked down in his hiding place in Barangay Mabuhay 1, Socorro following an ‘intelligence-driven’ operation supervised by PRO4-B Deputy Regional Director for Operations, Colonel Gil Francis G. Tria last January 20.

Hernia said a team of PRO4-B Regional Force Battalion officers led by Major Cisco Israel Magnaye arrested the suspect on the strength of a warrant for two counts of rape issued by the Calapan City Regional Trial Court Branch 41 in Oriental Mindoro.

“Apart from going all-out on drug traffickers, insurgents and other criminals in the region, we are also giving priority on our efforts to help further reduce cases of rape in the entire region,” said the PRO4-B director.

Hernia said that to date, they have accounted for 381 Most Wanted Persons and 1,198 Other Wanted Persons.

PRO6 director, Brig. Gen. Flynn E. Dongbo and his men in Western Visayas were also commended by Gen. Carlos for hauling to jail 375 wanted personalities in Western Visayas during the entire month of January.

Out of the 375 persons arrested, 70 were classified as Most Wanted Persons (MWPs) and 300 were Other Wanted Persons (OWPs).

Citing a report from the PRO6, Gen. Carlos said members of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office had the most number of arrested MWPs with 29 followed by the Iloilo PPO with 16; Bacolod City Police Office with 13; Iloilo City Police Office with six; Capiz PPO with four; and the Antique PPO as well as the Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group with one arrest each.

Of the 305 OWPs, 142 were arrested by the Negros Occidental PPO; 55 by the Iloilo CPO; 41 by the Capiz PPO; 16 by the Aklan PPO; 11 by the Iloilo CPO; five by the Guimaras PPO; and 14 by the Regional CIDG.

Gen. Carlos congratulated the heads of the arresting units from the provincial and city police offices down to the municipal police stations and the CIDG in the region for taking the lead in the notable accomplishments.

“Ituloy nyo lang ang inyong magandang sinimulan noong unang buwan ng taon 2022. Aasahan ko na sa darating na araw ay mas lalo pa ninyong paigtingin ang ating mga programa kontra kriminaldad, iligal na droga, insurhensya, korapsyon at kasama na ang pag aresto sa mga indibidwal na may pananagutan sa batas upang mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima at ang kanilang mga pamilya,” the top cop said.

“The challenge is to sustain our commitment to deliver our best in the performance of our respective duties especially now that we continue to fight the unseen enemy’,” Gen. Carlos added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon