EIGHTY-TWO persons were arrested in a two-day simultaneous operations against any forms of criminality conducted by the Police Regional Office (PRO) Cordillera in the region, a police official said on Sunday, May 27.
Cordillera police officer director Chief Superintendent Edward Carranza said of the 82 arrested persons; 58 were suspects with warrants for various offenses such as child abuse and frustrated murder; 16 were nabbed during the region-wide implementation of search warrants; while the eight others were arrested after being caught in the act of engaging in illegal gambling related activities.
Of which, 25 were arrested by the Baguio City Police Office; 14 by Benguet police office and Abra; 12 by Kalinga police office; seven by Ifugao police and five by Apayao and Mountain Province police office.
He said among the significant arrest during the two-day operation were that of the four persons included in the PRO top most wanted persons (TMWP).
Carranza said Rudy de Guzman, the number seven TMWP of Ifugao province and Dexter Caligtan, the number seven TMWP of La Union, who were both facing charges for the violation of Republic Act 7610 also known as Protection against Child Abuse, Expoitation and Discrimination were arrested at Nungawa, Asipulo, Ifugao on May 25 and in Lubas, La Trinidad, Benguet on May 26, respectively.
He said Ace Escudero also known as Jarel Cabresos Cagara or Jebrill, the number two TMWP of police station 4 of Baguio City Police Office who was wanted for frustrated homicide, was also arrested at Trading Post, Km5, La Trinidad, Benguet while Amilyn Toni, a suspect for frustrated murder and the number three TMWP of Tubo, Abra was also finally put behind bars.
Carranza confiscated during the said operations, 15 assorted high and low powered firearms; 120 pieces of assorted ammunitions for firearms with different calibers; six pieces magazines for assorted firearms; one MK fragmentation hand grenade; 189 pieces blasting caps; two rolls of safety fuse and .5 kilogram ammonium nitrate or fuel oil.??
However, he said the simultaneous operations also includes anti-illegal logging activities in the provinces of Mountain Province and Ifugao which resulted in the recovery of assorted types of lumber with a total volume of 1,902 board feet and a total estimated value of P54,302.
On anti-illegal gambling operations in La Trinidad, Benguet, three suspects who were caught in the act of playing card games were arrested in which they yielded two sets of playing cards and P3,350 bet money in different denominations.
Carranza said the Baguio City Police Office also confiscated three sets of mahjong tiles; three sets of mahjong table; and P1,585 bet money during the conduct of operations.
“On operations against illegal drugs, a total of 41,100 fully grown marijuana plants worth P9,022,000 were destroyed during a marijuana eradication campaign in Barangays Buscalan and Loccong, all of Tinglayan, Kalinga,” he said.
“In addition, 18 sachets of containing suspected shabu and suspected Marijuana tops, leaves and stems and one black small smoking pipe were confiscated during the searches in Buguias, La Trinidad, and Tuba all of Benguet Province,” he added.
Carranza, however, commended his men for the conduct of such operations which heeds to the call of Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde to intensify police operations against any form of criminality which threatens the peace and order in the community. (SunStar Philippines)