THE Philippine National Police (PNP) apprehended 13 wanted individuals—including a national most wanted person and several top regional fugitives—during synchronized, nationwide law enforcement operations executed on September 2, 2026.
A primary target of the sweep was a national most wanted individual carrying a ₱50,000 bounty for a pending murder case.
The suspect was located and captured in Upi, Maguindanao del Norte, through a joint operation involving police units from Isabela, South Cotabato, and Maguindanao del Norte, alongside Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and intelligence operatives.
The suspect was subsequently transferred to the CIDG Isabela Provincial Field Unit for custody.
Multiple high-ranking regional fugitives facing severe violent and sexual offence charges were also taken into custody across the country.
In Northern Mindanao, police arrested the region’s No. 1 Most Wanted Person in Iligan City for four counts of rape, while the No. 2 Most Wanted Person was apprehended in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, for four counts of statutory rape.
In the Davao Region, operations netted the No. 3 Most Wanted Person in Asuncion for statutory rape and acts of lasciviousness, a No. 3 Most Wanted Person in Davao City for syndicated estafa, and a No. 7 Most Wanted Person in New Bataan for parricide.
Additional arrests occurred in Sarangani Province, where police nabbed two No. 10 Most Wanted Persons for murder in Malapatan.
Regional fugitives were also cornered in Pigcawayan, Cotabato (No. 9 for rape); Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat (No. 10 for anti-carnapping violations); Pulilan, Bulacan (No. 5 for 30 counts of rape by sexual assault); Esperanza, Agusan del Sur (No. 7 for statutory rape); and Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte, for multiple counts of qualified statutory rape.
All arrests were executed via court-issued warrants.
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. commended the law enforcement units, emphasizing that sustained intelligence sharing and inter-agency coordination remain crucial to ensuring that warrants of arrest are fully served and fugitives are held accountable under the law.
