OPERATIVES of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) have arrested a high-priority fugitive who escaped police custody in 2023, ending an extensive multi-province manhunt.
The suspect, a 23-year-old solar panel installer listed as a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) most wanted person with a ₱130,000 bounty, was apprehended around 10:40 AM in Porac, Pampanga.
He was also ranked 10th on the Pampanga Provincial Level Most Wanted list.
The operation was executed by two teams from the Anti-Carnapping Section–Regional Intelligence Division (ACS-RID) of the NCRPO following nearly a month of intense surveillance across Central Luzon.
Operatives initial tracking led to a construction site in Mabalacat, Pampanga, but the suspect had already fled.
Investigators then monitored his father’s movements, which led to dead ends in Angeles City, as well as Barangays Balibago and Manibaug, before finally locating his hideout in Porac after two days of non-stop tracking.
The arrest was conducted pursuant to a standing warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 61 in Angeles City for a rape conviction.
The underlying charges stem from a February 2023 incident at the accused’s residence in Barangay Anunas, Pampanga.
Although local authorities initially apprehended him a day after the crime, the suspect broke free from police custody the following month.
Following his escape, the fugitive hid at a relative’s house in Antipolo City before returning to Pampanga.
For three years, he evaded authorities by moving between various towns while working for a construction contractor.
The contractor employed him as a solar installer and housed him at a rest house in Barangay Palat, Porac, where he was ultimately captured.
The suspect is currently held at the ACS-RID NCRPO facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending a court-issued Commitment Order.
NCRPO Officer-in-Charge PBGEN Christopher N. Abrahano emphasized that intelligence-driven operations will continue targeting wanted individuals regardless of how long they remain on the run, urging the public to report fugitives to local police stations.
