POLICE Regional Office 9 director, Brigadier General Florencio T. Ortilla yesterday announced the capture of nine of Western Mindanao’s most wanted persons following separate manhunt operations in the region.

In a report to Philippine National Police chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, the Western Mindanao police director said that two of the arrested suspects were members of the New People’s Army wanted for non-bailable murder cases in Zamboanga del Sur.

Ortilla said that suspects Victorio Hernane alias ‘LTD/Vicor Nuñez,’ 50, and his brother Nardilito, 45, both residents of Purok 2, Bgy. Dumalia in San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur, were arrested by local police and Army operatives following information from the Regional Intelligence Unit 9.

The two were the subject of warrants of arrest for murder and multiple frustrated homicide issued by the San Miguel Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 29 and the Pagadian City RTC Branch 18, respectively.

The 3rd identified as Alberto Pangasian Jr., a 46-year-old farmer from Purok Laigaynon in Bgy. Rebokon in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur, was arrested by officers on the basis of a warrant for attempted murder issued by the Pagadian City RTC Branch 30. A P120,000 bail was recommended for the temporary liberty of the accused.

Ortilla said the 4th identified as Wahab Manto, 50, a resident of Purok 2 in Bgy. Bubual, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur, was arrested on the strength of a warrant for murder issued by the Pagadian City RTC Branch 18 on March 3, 2005, with no bail recommended.

The official said the 5th identified as Jahabudin Karim Gaca, 49, resident of Don Alfaro Street in Bgy. Tetuan, Zamboanga City, was arrested while trying to secure a police clearance last Thursday.

It turned out that the suspect, a native of Datu Binasing Pagcawayan, Cotabato, caught the attention of the local police after he turned out to be in the so-called “hit status” while securing a clearance on Thursday afternoon.

A record check showed that the suspect is the subject of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for murder issued on April 29, 2019, by the Cotabato City RTC Branch 27.

Ortilla said the 6th suspect identified as Randy Maglasang, 40, wanted for a rape case in San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur, was tracked down in his hiding place in Bgy. Poblacion in Santa Fe, Cebu by members of the San Miguel Muncipal Police Station, the PRO9 Regional Mobile Force Battalion, the 2nd Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Santa Fe police.

Tagged as the 4th most wanted man in San Miguel municipality, Maglasang was arrested on the strength of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for rape issued by the San Miguel RTC Branch 29.

The 7th identified as Lito Amameo, 57, was arrested inside the Andalucia Crest Subdivision in Bgy. Gabi, Cordova, on the basis of a warrant of arrest for possession of child pornographic material and two counts of violation of the Video Voyeurism Act issued by a local court.

The 8th identified as Soysoy Tapaos, a 29-year-old member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit in Zamboanga del Sur, was arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest for murder with bail recommended by the Pagadian City RTC Branch 21.

Ortilla said that members of the Bayog Municipal Police Station in Zamboanga del Sur, the local Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion arrested the “armed and dangerous” suspect in Sitio Marao in Bgy. Depase.

The 9th identified as Raffy Antataha alias ‘Aping,’ a 22-year-old jobless resident of Bgy. Campo Islam in Zamboanga City, was arrested in an anti-narcotics operation in Suterville, Bgy. Lower Calarian past 6 p.m. last Friday.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect were seven heat-sealed plastic sachets containing nearly P7,000 worth of shabu and two marked P100 bills paid to him by an undercover officer from the Zamboanga City Police Station 8 Drug Enforcement Team.

The suspect is now facing a non-bailable case for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.