THE Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested on Monday, January 26, 2026, a national-level most wanted fugitive linked to a decades-old murder case during a manhunt operation in the town of Baganga, Davao Oriental.
The suspect, a 64-year-old former commanding officer of the Special Operating Group of the dismantled Guerrilla Front 15, Sub-Regional Committee 2 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Command, was apprehended around 3:25 p.m. in Barangay Lucod.
The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Davao City Field Unit, with support from the Baganga Municipal Police Station, Police Regional Office 11 units, and other partner field units.
Authorities said the suspect was arrested by virtue of two warrants of arrest for murder, both without bail recommendations.
The warrants were issued on August 28, 1995, by the executive judge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 3, in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, under the Eleventh Judicial Region.
The suspect was also listed among the PNP’s national Most Wanted Persons, with a P100,000 reward offered for his capture.
PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the arrest underscored the police force’s commitment to pursuing fugitives regardless of how long it takes.
“This operation proves that justice may take time, but it will not be denied. The law will eventually catch up with those who attempt to escape accountability,” Nartatez said, adding that there is “no place in society for violence and crime.”
He said the removal of high-value fugitives helps restore peace in communities and reinforces public confidence in the rule of law. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)