A fugitive man convicted of rape and whose selfie in a police station went viral on social media finally fell into the hands of policemen after years of hiding.
Radden Canasa Argomido, 36, was arrested by joint operatives of the National Capital Region Police Office-Regional Special Operations Unit (NCRPO-RSOU) and Police Regional Office 4-A in an operation on Tuesday.
NCRPO Director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar presented the suspect to the media on Thursday at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
Argomido was also wanted for frustrated murder, as he tried but failed to kill his rape victim’s father.
In January, his selfie inside a police station went viral because it appeared to be taunting authorities to arrest him.
The photo was eventually used against Argomido as it led policemen to finally capture him after a person who saw his Facebook post tipped authorities of his whereabouts.
Argomido was convicted on November 23, 2016 for raping a woman in February 2013.
He went into hiding after the decision on his case was handed down.
On January 1, or almost two years later, Argomido surfaced and stabbed his rape victim’s father 15 times in different parts of his body.
The victim survived the attack.
Radden Canasa Argomido’s selfie
Upon presenting Argomido to the media, the rape victim, who was also with her parents, slapped the suspect.
“Alam mo ba ‘yung trauma na binigay mo sa aming mag-ina. Habang buhay namin dinadala,” the victim weepingly said.
(Do you know the trauma you’ve caused us? We’ve been carrying it for the rest of our lives.)
“Humihingi po ako ng patawad sa inyo. Sana mapatawad niyo ako,” Argomido replied.
(I am asking for your forgiveness. I hope you can forgive me.)
Eleazar called on the public to continue reporting information that could lead to the arrest of other wanted criminals.
“Kaya sa ating mga kababayan na meron kayong… biktima kayo ng mga kaso, na itong mga hinahanap natin ay ‘di pa natin nahuhuli, ‘wag kayong mawalan ng pagasa dahil kagaya ng ating nabanggit, it’s just a matter of time maaabot at maaabot natin sila,” Eleazar said.
(To our people who are victims of crime and the perpetrators have not yet been arrested, don’t worry because we will get them, it’s just a matter of time. We will get them.)
“‘Yun lamang para mapabilis, kailangan natin ng tulong, impormasyon coming from the public,” he added.
(But for us to speed it up, we need help, information from the public.) —with report from Syrah Vivien Inocencio, INQUIRER.net intern /kga