POLICE have arrested eight persons wanted by different law enforcement agencies for various crimes committed within the region in the first few days of this year.

Director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera Eugene Martin said those arrested face charges for crimes such as homicide, frustrated murder, rape, child abuse, acts of lasciviousness, carnapping, and estafa.

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"The first two weeks of January 2009 were very fruitful since our personnel was able to neutralize eight wanted persons, and further ensure that justice and peace prevails in the region," he said.

Martin identified the latest suspect arrested as Romy Bantulo Petilan, 21, a driver, who resides in Mamuyod, Ambassador, Tublay, Benguet.

Considered as the ninth most wanted person in Benguet for the first quarter of 2009, Petilan was arrested by personnel of the Tublay Municipal Police Station on January 12 on the strength of a warrant issued by Judge Benigno Galacgac of La Trinidad's Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 63 on a charge of homicide.

The arrested person was properly turned over to the issuing court concerned after proper documentation and subsequently detained in the Benguet Provincial Jail.

At Quezon Boulevard in Manila last January 10, joint operatives of the Baguio City Police Office and the Manila Police District apprehended Cesar Arriesgudo Dublas Jr., 45, an employee of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Palawan, for the crime of frustrated murder.

The warrant for his arrest was issued by Judge Mona Lisa Tiongson-Tabora of Baguio's RTC Branch 7 on a charge with a recommended bail of P200,000.

After his arrest and transfer here, the suspect was detained in the Baguio City Jail.

Around 2 p.m. of January 6, operatives of the Mankayan Municipal Police Station collared Mike Delfin Ambros, 21, a laborer from Abatan, Buguias, Benguet, who resides along Cervantes Road, Mankayan, Benguet.

The suspect was arrested at his residence for the crime of carnapping by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Edgardo Diaz de Rivera Jr. of La Trinidad's RTC Branch 10 on a charge with a recommended bail fixed at P100,000.

Suspect was brought to the Mankayan MPS for documentation and subsequently turned over to the issuing court for proper disposition.

At 9:30 a.m. the same day, joint elements of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station and the 16O3rd Provincial Police Mobile Group of Benguet arrested Jeffrey Kisse Gaerlan, 32, a farmer and resident of Mae, Bahong, La Trinidad for the crime of estafa.

He was arrested on the strength of a warrant issued by Judge Galacgac of La Trinidad's RTC Branch 63.

On January 5, another suspect was arrested by personnel of the Hingyon Municipal Police Station headed by Inspector Donato Tagubasi.

The arrested person was identified as Rovert Paniyo Humiding, 20, a resident of Balabac, Umalbong, Hingyon, Ifugao.

This suspect was arrested by virtue of warrant of arrest issued by Judge Joseph Baguilat of Lagawe's RTC Branch 14 for the crime of acts of lasciviousness.

The suspect was brought to the Hingyon Municipal Police station for documentation and immediately presented to the court of origin and subsequently committed in the Provincial Jail located at Tiger Hill, Baguinge, Kiangan, Ifugao.

Around 6:30 a.m. of January 4, personnel of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station also arrested the third most wanted person in the municipality for the first quarter of 2009.

The suspect was identified as Andrew Apasen Pabling, 42, a porter at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and resident of Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet.

He was arrested on the strength of a warrant issued by Judge Francis Buliyat of La Trinidad's RTC Branch 9 for alleged violation of Section 10 of Republic Act (RA) 7610 or Child Abuse Law with a recommended bail of P60,000 for his provisional liberty.

Over at Ifugao, the continuous monitoring and surveillance operations against most wanted persons has been intensified by joint operatives of the Lamut Municipal Police Station, those from Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group 2 which led to the arrest of Marcelo Duppingay Balahya, 29, at Bana-aw, Camandag, Asipulo, Ifugao last January 4.

Arrested for the crime of rape with no bail recommended, he was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Baguilat.

The suspect was presented to the court of origin and subsequently committed in the Provincial Jail at Tiger Hill, Baguinge, Kiangan, Ifugao.

In the Pudtol public market in Apayao, around 10 a.m. of January 3, elements of the Pudtol Municipal Police Station arrested Rolly Ducrao Tuccalay, 24, and a resident of Malibang, Pudtol, Apayao.

He was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Marivic Cacatian-Beltran of Tuguegarao City's Regional Trial Court Branch 3 for the crime of frustrated murder.

The suspect was brought to Pudtol MPS for proper documentation and subsequently turned over to the court concerned before being detained in jail. (ENO)