MORE wanted persons in the country were hauled to jail by agents of the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) over the past two weeks amid their intensified effort to track down and arrest lawbreakers who remain at-large over the years and help keep the streets safe 24/7, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

Last week, eight wanted persons, three of them included in the so-called Most Wanted Persons’ list were arrested by the PNP-IG headed by Brigadier General Warren F. de Leon.

De Leon, a member of PNP Academy Class 1993, said he has instructed all Regional Intelligence Units and different PNP-IG units in Camp Crame to tap the help of the community in tracking down these wanted persons, many of them in hiding for so many years.

Top targets of the PNP-IG are rape suspects knowing that these sex fiends may find other targets while still in the lam.

The PNP-IG director said they also have secured copies of warrants of arrest issued by different courts in the country with the main intention of sending the subjects of the warrants to jail and let them answer for their crimes.

In a report to PNP chief, General Debold M. Sinas, the PNP-IG director said that among those arrested were long wanted for heinous and non-bailable criminal offenses specifically rape and murder.

They include Severino Elardo, a man wanted for murder and violation of Republic Act 9216 or An Act Granting the Panay Telephone Corporation a franchise to construct, establish, install, maintain and operate local exchange network in the City of Passi and the municipalities of Calinog, Lambunao, Duenas, San Rafael, San Enrique and Pototan in Iloilo province.

The suspect was tracked down in his hiding place in Barangay 11 in Llorente, Eastern Samar and arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by the Borongan, Eastern Samar Regional Tral Court Branch 2.

Another was Ismael Cabutaje, a most wanted murder suspect in Tubod, Lanao del Norte who was arrested in Sitio Miladok in Bgy. Maliwanag in Maigo municipality; Marilou Jimenez, wanted on the basis of a warrant for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 issued by the Malolos City RTC Branch 81 and arrested in Bgy. Panghulo in Obando, Bulacan; Joel del Rosario, a man wanted for two counts of qualified rape in Cainta until he was arrested in his hideout in Creekside, Samagta Floodway A in Bgy. San Juan, Taytay, Rizal; and Lolito Esparagoza, wanted for eight counts of rape in San Jose, Antique and arrested in Bgy. Palapala in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

Also arrested were Roadmarc Baguo, wanted for 10 counts of rape in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu and arrested in Bgy. Looc in Mandaue, Cebu; Chummie Lagbucan, wanted for murder in Mati, Davao Oriental and arrested in Bgy. Tubaon in Tarragona, Davao Oriental; Rutherford Tajo, the subject of a warrant of arrest for rape issued by a Muntinlupa City court and arrested inside the Hobbies of Asia compound in Macapagal Street, Pasay City; Arvin Gimpes, wanted for a robbery case in Irosin, Sorsogon and arrested in Bgy. Bagong Pook in Malvar, Batangas; and Robin Sarito, wanted for a murder case in Angeles City in Pampanga until he was caught in his residence in Bgy. Pampang.

Last April 22-23, PNP-IG operatives also arrested the following: Arnold Aballe, a man wanted for murder in Bogo, Cebu and arrested in Bgy. E. Lopez in Silay, Negros Occidental; Mark Bong Diploma, the subject of a warrant of arrest for rape issued by the Puerto Princesa City RTC Branch 52 and tracked down in his hiding place in Bgy. Tataran in Quezon, Palawan; John King Catindoy, wanted for violation of RA 9165 in Tacloban City in Leyte and arrested in Bgy. 66 in Paseo de Legaspi in Tacloban; and Sherwin Potenciano, the subject of a warrant of arrest for qualified rape issued by the Davao City RTC Branch 8 who was arrested in Purok 1, Dulugan, Toril District in Davao City.

Sinas has instructed the PNP-IG to join the 17 Police Regional Offices and the other PNP National Operational Support Units led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in arresting all the country’s wanted persons.

The PNP chief said that by literally not giving these wanted men the opportunity to sleep soundly knowing they can be arrested anytime of the day and no matter how far they have been hiding, they will be able to prevent the possibility that more crimes will be committed by the suspects in the streets.

Last month, PNP-IG operatives also arrested 21 wanted person, all subject of warrants of arrest issued by different RTCs nationwide. The 21 include seven men wanted for rape and sexual abuse, eight men wanted for murder and two men wanted for carnapping.

The PNP leadership has commended the PNP-IG for a job well done in accounting for most wanted persons in the country apart from going all-out against terror gangs and their supporters.

The Journal Group was told that over 1,000 wanted persons and other lawbreakers have been neutralized by the PNP as a result of ‘intelligence packets’ provided by the PNP-IG since November last year.

Official PNP records showed that from March 26 to last April 1 alone, the PNP-IG arrested 53 wanted persons and caused the surrender of 250 New People’s Army (NPA) members and active supporters.

Among those arrested during the period were three NPA rebels, two most wanted persons carrying a total bounty of P265,000 offered by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and 18 other most wanted persons.

From November 25 to last March 22, the PNP-IG’s campaign against local insurgents had also resulted in the arrest of more than 30 NPA members, the surrender of nearly 700 others and the killing of two armed rebels.

PNP-IG officers also accounted for 19 most wanted terror suspects, majority of them members of the ISIS-inspired Abu Sayyaf Group and their affiliates, convinced 15 others to yield to the government and launched operations which led to the killing of eight heavily-armed terrorists following gunbattles with officers. A total of 23 powerful guns were confiscated from the terrorists who were neutralized.

During the same period, PNP-IG operatives also captured 405 wanted criminals in the country, 13 of them among the country’s Most Wanted Persons with reward money put up on their heads by the Department of National Defense and the DILG.