TWO high-ranking fugitives wanted for rape in Eastern Visayas were tracked down and arrested in separate intelligence-led operations in Quezon Province and Caloocan City on September 3, 2026.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGEN Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. announced the capture of Region 8’s No. 4 and No. 5 Most Wanted Persons, who had fled their home province to evade prosecution.
The first operation took place in Barangay Ibabang Bukal, Tayabas, Quezon Province.
Operatives apprehended a 21-year-old construction worker, identified by the alias “Gino,” at the Buenaventura Alandy National High School.
Ranked as Region 8’s No. 5 Most Wanted Person, “Gino” was taken into custody under a court-issued warrant for rape under Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code, with no bail recommended.
Later that day, law enforcement teams located the second suspect, an 18-year-old male identified as alias “Ben,” in Barangay 176, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.
Identified as the No. 4 most wanted person in Region 8, he was similarly served a no-bail warrant of arrest for rape.
The joint manhunt was conducted by the Regional Intelligence Division–Regional Special Operations Unit 8 (RID-RSOU-8) and the Area Counterintelligence Section of the National Capital Region Police Office (ACS-RID, NCRPO), alongside the Biri Municipal Police Station and local units.
Police successfully pinpointed the suspects’ hideouts through sustained surveillance, intelligence-sharing, and cross-regional coordination.
Following their arrests, officers informed both suspects of their constitutional rights in their local dialect.
They were subsequently brought to the ACS-RID, NCRPO custodial facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, for medical clearance, documentation, and formal court disposition.
