MORE most wanted persons in the country have been ‘neutralized’ this month as a result of Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG)-initiated manhunt operations aimed at sending fugitives from the law to jail and preventing them the opportunity to prey on new targets, a report to PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said on Tuesday.

PNP-IG director, Brigadier Gen. Warren F. de Leon said that last Saturday, their Cotabato Counter-Intelligence Team led an anti-narcotics operation which resulted in the killing of ‘high-value target’ Ahmad Unos Abdulatip alias ‘Jerry’ following a shootout with undercover officers along Alejandro Dorotheo Street in Poblacion 6 in Cotabato City.

The official said that his men, with the assistance of the Cotabato City Police Office went after the suspect, a resident of Barangay Buayan in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, who has been identified as a member of a partisan armed group under the employ of a member of the once powerful Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao.

During the sting, the suspect sold 15 grams of shabu worth P120,000 to a poseur. However, he sensed the ongoing entrapment operation, pulled out a concealed firearm and tried to shoot the officer but missed.

Back-up operatives returned fire killing the suspect on the spot. Recovered from his possession were a .38 caliber revolver with five live ammunition, three heat-sealed plastic sachets containing the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ and the boodle money topped by a marked P500 bill.

A number of PNP-IG-initiated operations also resulted in the capture of 10 most wanted persons in the country over the past three weeks, some of them with huge bounties on their heads offered by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

One of them identified as Jairus Jun Napoles was arrested in Bgy. Canabajan in Calinog, Iloilo on the strength of warrants of arrest for forcible abduction with rape, rape and theft, murder and violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 issued by different regional trial courts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat in June 2020.

De Leon said the suspect has been identified as a hired gun operating in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces before getting involved in illegal drug activities and acting as a ‘courier’ of firearms of some lawless armed groups in the two provinces.

The DILG offered a P130,000 reward for the capture of the suspect.

The 2nd identified as Chito Nito, the 5th most wanted person in Metro Manila was arrested by PNP-IG and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) operatives under Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. in Abram Street in Bgy. Pinagsama in Taguig City on Thursday evening.

The suspect is the subject of warrants of arrest for murder and attempted murder issued by a Taguig court with no bail recommended.

A co-accused of Nito identified as Rene Gene Leda, the 6th most wanted man in the NCRPO list was arrested in the same area.

The 4th identified as Carmilo Tabada, a suspected member of the New People’s Army was arrested in a PNP-IG-initiated operation in Purok 2, Bgy. Poblacion in Trinidad, Bohol. Tabada is a ‘kagawad’ of Bgy. Poblacion.

De Leon said that officers who raided the suspect’s residence on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued by Judge Azucena Macalolot-Credo recovered a .45 caliber pistol with a magazine containing one live ammunition, one KG9 machine pistol with a magazine containing nine bullets, a fragmentation grenade and suspected subversive documents.

The 5th identified as Rosauro Guinto alias ‘Zorro,’ the 8th most wanted person in Manila was arrested in his residence in Lancaster Subdivision in General Trias, Cavite on the basis of a warrant of arrest for two counts of rape with no bail recommended by Judge Roberto Quiroz of the Manila RTC Branch 29 on December 14 last year.

The suspect was accused of raping his granddaughter in their Tondo residence on October 11, 2017.

Another suspect identified as Lydio Yrañela, a subject of a warrant of arrest for five counts of rape and included in the list of the National Most Wanted Person was arrested in Sitio Buho in Bgy.. Salog, Leyte, Leyte 4:30 p.m. Wednesday last week.

De Leon said the DILG has offered a P150,000 reward for the capture of the suspect. Judge Cristina Jalavera Sulit of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 140 on June 13, 2018 issued a warrant of arrest against the suspect with no bail recommended in connection with the five counts of rape cases filed against him.

The same judge recommended a P180,000 bail for the suspect in connection with another acts of lasciviousness case slapped on him.

The accused became wanted for raping the young daughter of his common-law wife in their residence in Makati City in separate occasions in July and August 2015. He fled to Leyte after the local police filed criminal charges against him.

According to de Leon, members of the Regional Intelligence Unit 8 led the operation in Leyte which resulted in the capture of the accused. Officers from the Makati City Police Station and the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) under Brig. Gen. Ronaldo F. de Jesus joined the operation.

The 7th d identified as Gian Carlo Padua, the subject of a P130,000 reward from the DILG was arrested in Southville 9 in Bgy. Pinugay in Baras, Rizal around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday by members of the Regional Intelligence Unit-National Capital Region, the NCRPO and the Baras Municipal Police Station.

De Leon said the suspect is a member of the Limos Crime Group involved in carnapping and illegal drug activities in Camanava district. A warrant for his arrest for violation of Republic Act 10883 or the New Anti-Carnapping Law of 2016 was issued by Judge Rosie Rodil of the Malabon City RTC Branch 293 with no bail recommended.

The suspect was ordered arrested after he failed to return the 2017 Hyundai Accent of one Harren Pili on November 25, 2018. It turned out that the accused had already pawned the vehicle at the Malabon Grand Casino.

The 8th identified as Wifredo Directo Jr., a resident of Bgy. San Isidro, General Santos City was arrested in a PNP-IG-initiated operation last Thursday.

The PNP-IG director said the suspect who has been identified as one of the most wanted persons in Soccksargen region is the subject of a warrant of arrest for rape with no bail recommended by Judge Jose Blanza Jr. of the General Santos City RTC Branch 22.

The suspect is wanted for raping his stepdaughter in December 2020.

The 9th identified as Monteson Ignacio Jr. alias ‘Pogito,’ tagged as a leader of a notorious gun-for-hire syndicate operating in Calabarzon region was captured in Bgy. Looc in Calamba City in Laguna Thursday morning.

Brig. Gen. de Leon said that with the support of agents from the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) under Brig. Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta and the PRO4-A under Brig. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz, his men arrested the suspect on the basis of a warrant of arrest for homicide issued by Judge Ulysses Butuyan of the Tayug, Pangasinan RTC Branch 52; a warrant of arrest for frustrated murder issued by Judge Benjamin Almazan of the Natividad and San Quintin Municipal Circuit Trial Court; and a warrant of arrest for murder, attempted murder and attempted carnapping, all issued by Judge Manuel Pastor of the Villasis, Pangasinan RTC Branch 50.

The PNP-IG director said the suspect is a known gun-for-hire operating in Ilocos-Pangasinan region and is wanted for a number of murder and harassment cases in Pangasinan.

The DILG put up a P550,000 bounty for the capture of the suspect.

The 10th identified as Rommel Guinsod, one of the most wanted criminals in Caraga region was arrested in Sitio Bwena Swerte in Bgy. Bayugan 3 in Rosario, Agusan del Sur last Monday.

De Leon said the suspect is wanted for a murder case with no bail recommended by Judge Edgar Manilag of the Butuan City RTC Branch 33 on July 3, 2014.

The official said that members of the Regional Intelligence Unit 13, with the help of officers from the Caraga police under Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. arrested the suspect who was accused of killing his cousin Orake Daya in Butuan City on March 14, 2014.