Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Davao cops capture most wanted kidnaper By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
POLICE arrested another of the country's most wanted kidnappers in Tagum City on Friday, following an extensive manhunt operation.
Combined elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) from the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte arrested Cesar Escol Gulle in Magdum, Tagum City at around 4 p.m. on September 7.
The arresting teams, armed with two arrest warrants issued by Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 83 Judge Guillermo Agloro, were accompanied by members of the 1101st Provincial Mobile Group of the Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office.
Gulle is among those in the police's list of most wanted criminals, for kidnapping and robbery charges.
He carries a P250,000 bounty on his head.
Police said Gulle is believed to be responsible for the series of kidnapping and robbery incidents in Northern Luzon provinces.
Seized from the suspect were a .45 caliber pistol and a magazine with five live ammunitions.
A separate case will be filed against him for illegal possession of a firearm.
On Saturday, elements of Compostela Valley CIDT also arrested a gunrunning suspect in an entrapment operation in Mankilam, Tagum City.
Arrested was Arnulfo Penafiel Paunon, 44, of the same place.
Records showed that police immediately arrested Paunon after a police agent, acting as poseur buyer, handed the marked money to the suspect as payment for three units of homemade UZI-type caliber 9 mm machine pistols with three magazine assemblies.
Paunon will be charged with illegal possession of a firearm after the suspect failed to present pertinent documents authorizing him to possess and sell the firearms and ammunition.
On Tuesday last week, police arrested one Brian Barbosa Ho who has a standing warrant of arrest issued by Judge Norberto Quisumbing of the Regional Trial Court in Imus, Cavite.
For the third quarter alone, three personalities in the country's most wanted list have either been neutralized or had fallen into the hands of the police.
The fall of the country's 8th most wanted kidnapper, rogue policeman Alan Estrada, last August 14 was only the start. Following the arrest was last week's apprehension of Southern Tagalog's most wanted criminal and last Tuesday's arrest of Ho.
Ho is suspected to be a member of the Mendoza kidnap-for-ransom group and was implicated in the kidnapping of Carrie Choa last June 28 2005. Barbosa had a P250,000 bounty on his head.
