Most wanted ‘cat’ in NCR arrested

Joey Monterde, alias Pusa, was arrested in his house in Taguig on Tuesday night. He was also one of the most wanted by Metro Manila police for car theft charges. Photo by Dexter Cabalza

He is nimble as a cat, but police finally caught up with him.

Taguig police arrested on Tuesday night 34-year-old Joey Monterde, alias Pusa, a notorious drug pusher in Taguig and also one of the most wanted criminals in the metro.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Antonio Olivete of Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 267, policemen raided the house of Monterde in Holy Family Village, Barangay Bagumbayan at 7:50 p.m.

Seized from the suspect were eight sachets of crystal meth (shabu), and a .38-cal. revolver,  said Chief Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr., director of the Southern Police District.

Senior Insp. Glenn Amsiwen, commander of  Taguig Police Community Precinct 3 (PCP-3), said Monterde even used his three children–the oldest being nine years old–as runners for his drug business.

“We have conducted numerous buy-bust attempts against Monterde, but he would always escape from us,” Amsiwen said of how Monterde got his monicker.

“He is like a cat, climbing and running away through the neighborhood roofs.”

According to Apolinario, it was only after his arrest when policemen learned that Monterde and Oliver Vargas, who is the Top 6 most wanted criminal of the National Capital Region Police Office for carnapping charges, was one and the same.

Monterde was detained at Taguig police station and facing additional charges of drug pushing and possession, and illegal possession of firearms.