CORDILLERA Administrative Region’s top most wanted person was finally caught by operatives of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) in Itogon, Benguet.

Police Brigadier General Israel Ephraim Dickson, PRO-COR director, confirmed the arrest Thursday afternoon, July 26.

“I would like to announce that we are commending the effort of the Benguet Provincial Police Office specifically the chief of police of Itogon, Benguet for arresting the number one most wanted person in the Cordillera in the person of a certain Shaolin Baawa,” Dickson said.

Baawa hid for more than 13 years when he was arrested in the evening of July 24 in Tinglayan, Kalinga after a long negotiation with the elders in the area.

“As a result of the long negotiations with the elders who initially refused to release the suspect despite the suspect being positively identified and the place secured, the elders agreed to release Baawa to the police operatives to prevent possible problems that may occur,” Dickson added.

A case of murder was filed against Baawa sometime in 2006 in Itogon, and was arrested through a warrant.

Baawa is undergoing the documentation process before being forwarded to the proper courts.