MANILA, Philippines—In less than a week, 35 of the country’s most wanted criminals have been arrested.
In its bid to eradicate most wanted persons, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, newly-minted CIDG chief, said they consider their recent accomplishment as an “overwhelming outcome” of the CIDG’s campaign against MWPs.
Among the 35, Magalong cited seven significant operations in hunting down notorious criminals nationwide.
Alleged rapist Armando Gavino Jr., of Barangay (village) Freeport Zone in Olongapo City, charged with three counts of rape have been caught by the regional CIDG team on Thursday.
On Wednesday, four lawless individuals were caught separately by CIDG tracker teams.
In Central Mindanao, CIDG tracker teams arrested on Wednesday Ogie Piang Kimbaw for murder.
Kimbaw was among the prisoners who bolted Maguindanao provincial jail after destroying their lock-up cell in 2012.
Davao del Sur policemen successfully accosted the fourth most wanted person in the entire province, Fidel Centillas, at Panabo City for charges of rape and acts of lasciviousness also on Wednesday morning.
In Luzon and Visayas, fifth most wanted person in Zambales and alleged murderer Bruno Canoza and the ninth most wanted person in Masbate province Eugenio Magbanua were arrested in the same day.
Last Sunday, Abu Sayyaf Group member Adulgappar Imambakal, who has 11 standing warrants of arrest for frustrated murder and 13 for murder, was apprehended by West Mindanao PNP Special Action Forces.
In a press conference last January, Magalong said crimes unsolved over a certain period of time, or cold cases, in the local police stations and district headquarters are later being turned over to the CIDG.
As of 2014, the former Cordillera Administrative Region police director said they are handling about 3,000 cases from all police stations nationwide.
RELATED STORIES
Pampanga CIDG chief in drug extortion also yields high-powered firearms -PNP
Ombudsman seeks arrest of ex-PNP chief for graft
PNP: Crime rate up due to ‘smarter’ criminals