THE Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) has emerged as the top PNP unit so far when it comes to hauling most wanted persons to jail since President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. designated General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. as the 28th PNP chief last August 1, the Journal Group learned.

Amid an order from Gen. Azurin for all PNP units to account for all Top Most Wanted Personalities (MWPs) and Other Wanted Personalities (OWPs) in the country, the PNP-DEG headed by Brigadier Gen. Narcisco D. Domingo has scored a 100 percent accomplishment in hauling targets with warrants of arrest during the period or a perfect 54 out of 54 targets.

Overall, the PNP served 43,604 of the 88,032 warrants of arrest included in their records during the period resulting in the arrest of 60 regional MWPs, 14 provincial MWPs and 370 city/municipal MWPs.

PNP agents also arrested a total of 4,935 OWPs during the period.

The number of arrested MWPs and OWPs is expected to further increase this year as the PNP embarks on a massive anti-criminality operation including an all-out effort to account for wanted persons as part of their effort to keep the streets safe 24/7.

Brig. Gen. Domingo said many of the wanted persons they hauled to jail were so-called’ High-Value Individuals (HVI)’ facing non-bailable charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He added that their intensified effort to account for wanted drug personalities has also resulted in the arrest of suspects who are all now in jail. “We served a number of warrants issued against RA 9165 offenders on suspects who were already in jail for other criminal offenses,” the member of PNP Academy Class 1992 said.

PNP-DEG records showed that from August 4 to August 31, the PNP’s premier anti-narcotics unit arrested 22 ‘high-value targets’ facing non-bailable RA 9165 cases; 32 with bail recommended for their temporary liberty by the court; and 27 others who are already the subject of ‘Service of Sentence’ orders from different regional trial courts across the country.

During the period, the PNP-DEG also arrested 31 known drug personalities on non-bailable cases for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under RA 9165; 1 for violation of Section 11 of RA 9165 or illegal possession of dangerous drugs and another 1 for violation of Section 12 of RA 9165 or illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sale and possession of prohibited drugs is a non-bailable offense carrying the maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of as much as P10 million once convicted by the court.

“We’re going all-out in our campaign to send wanted drug personalities to jail in order to prevent them from continuing their illegal drug activities which destroy the lives of many Filipinos, Brig. Gen. Domingo said.

Among those recently arrested by the PNP-DEG were 11 suspects, four of them in Metro Manila.

One of the accused identified Maria Richelle Ann Piquero,28, a resident of 66 Simon Street in Acacia, Malabon City was arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Jimmy Edmund Batara of the Malabon City Regional Trial Court Branch 72. A P200,000 bail was recommended for her temporary liberty.

The 2nd identified as Andrew Jay Amador,34, resident of P. Burgos St. in Sta. Ana, Taguig City was arrested along E. Ragas St. in Pateros. Judge Marivic Alisuag of the Taguig City RTC Branch 266 has ordered him to serve his sentence.

The 3rd identified as Joemarie Lazo,42, was arrested in Lower Tibagan, General T. de Leon St. in Valenzuela City. Judge Maria Nena Santos of the Valenzuela City RTC Branch 171 recommended a P40,000 bail for his temporary liberty.

The 4th identified as Edgardo Francisco,42, was arrested in Purok in Barangay Hilera in Jaen, Nueva Ecija last Saturday. The suspect is the subject of a warrant of arrest for violation of RA 9165 issued by Judge Angelo Perez of the Cabanatuan City RTC Branch 27.

Another identified as John Mark Gando alias ‘Tapoi,’ was arrested in Purok Sigay in Bgy. 2 in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. A P200,000 bail was recommended for his temporary liberty by Judge Fernando Castro of the Bacolod City RTC Branch 41.

The 6th, Ayland Arreza, a resident of Sitio Kapilis in Bgy. Suba-Basbas in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, was arrested on orders of Judge Fruto Teodorico of the Mandaue City RTC Branch 86 with no bail recommended.

The 7th identified as John Dalen,42, a resident of Sitio Ipil-Ipil in Purung Maragul, Angeles City in Pampanga was arrested on the strength of a non-bailable warrant of arrest issued by Judge Rodrigo del Rosario of the Angeles City RTC Branch 114 on March 17, 2021.

The 8th, Ziming Milan,29, a resident of Southville 8B in San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal was arrested on order of Judge Nestor Gapuzan of the San Mateo RTC Branch 77.

Another identified as Jonathan Armisis,37, was arrested in Bgy. Bungo Sitio in Bgy. San Jose, Antipolo City on Tuesday. Judge Yancy San Juan of the Morong, Rizal RTC Branch 159 has ordered the accused to serve his sentence after convicting him for violation of RA 9165.

The 10th identified as Ronald Usi,41, was arrested in his residence in Estragon St. in Robinson’s Home in Bgy. San Jose in Antipolo City also on Tuesday on the basis of a warrant issued by Judge Banuar Reuben Falcon of the Antipolo City RTC Branch 71.

The judge recommended a P240,000 bail for the temporary liberty of the accused who is now being held at the Antipolo City police lock-up facility.