Zambales cops nab 4 most wanted
FOUR most wanted persons in Zambales, one of them in hiding from the law since 2011, were arrested by the local police in a series of anti-criminality operations in the province this week, Zambales Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, Colonel Romano V. Cardiño told the Journal Group yesterday.
“The arrests were made in line with our stepped-up effort to account for all wanted persons and other criminals in the province and to ensure that Zambales won’t be a safe place to hide for all fugitives from the law,” Cardiño said.
The official said that one of the suspects identified as Tito Bucaoto, a 56-year-old native of Bolinao, Pangasinan who was tagged as a member of a gun-for-hire syndicate operating in the provinces of Zambales, Pangasinan and La Union, was arrested in Bgy. Bambam in Masinloc municipality 6:35 p.m. Thursday.
He said members of the Masinloc Municipal Police Station and the local Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested the suspect on the strength of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Elpidio Abella of the Alaminos City RTC Branch 55 on October 26, 2011.
Cardiño said the suspect has been tagged as the No. 1 most wanted person in Bolinao prior to his arrest.
The second suspect identified as Lewis Witzel Wellan, a 33-year-old elusive top drug personality in the province, was caught in Cabangan municipality on Wednesday.
Cardiño said the suspect, a resident of Bgy. Casabaan in Cabangan who is wanted for drug trafficking with no bail recommended, was arrested by a tracker team from the Cabangan Municipal Police Station and the Zambales PPO’s Provincial Intelligence Unit and Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch on the strength of a warrant of arrest for trafficking of drugs under Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The warrant was issued by Judge Consuelo Amog-Bocar of the Iba Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 71 last April 21.
Cardiño told Police Regional Office 3 director, Brigadier General Valeriano T. de Leon that the suspect eluded arrest during the conduct of a buy-bust operation in Sitio Laoag in Bgy. Maloma in San Felipe town last March 23. However, the local police filed criminal charges against him for violation of RA 9165 leading to the issuance of the warrant of arrest against him.
The third suspect identified as Harvey Flores, 52, resident of Purok 4, Bgy. Grullo in San Narciso municipality, was arrested by the local police on the basis of a warrant of arrest for two counts of rape issued by Judge Maribel Mariano-Beltran of the Iba RTC Branch 13 last February 24. No bail was also recommended for the temporary liberty of the accused.
The fourth, identified as Alvin Billas, a 44-year-old resident of Barrio Barreto, Olongapo City, was arrested in his hiding place in Purok 6A, Bgy. Calapacuan in Subic, Zambales early morning Thursday for violation of RA 8353 or the Anti-Rape Act of 1997.
Cardiño said the suspect was accused of sexually abusing a 22-year-old local resident who was sleeping in her room.
