AUTHORITIES have arrested one person and rescued eight vulnerable minors in a law enforcement operation in the province of North Cotabato, police said Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Police did not release the identity of the alleged child trafficker, saying only that the suspect is an adult male engaged in child exploitation in the online space.
Police said the eight rescued vulnerable minors include three female minor victims and five children at risk.
Police said the minors were rescued in an entrapment operation around 5:15 p.m. Thursday, January 15, in Purok 6, Liliongan village, Carmen, North Cotabato.
“The entrapment operation began as a covert online exchange that ended in decisive on-site intervention,” police said, adding that the operation was coupled with the implementation of a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data.
Police said the rescued children were promptly turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO)-Carmen for proper assessment, evaluation, and initial intervention.
Personnel from the Women and Children Protection Center–Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU) conducted a Video In-Depth Disclosure Interview (VIDI) to document the accounts of the alleged victims as part of the continuing investigation.
The suspect was brought to the Carmen Municipal Police Station for custody and in preparation for the filing of cases against him. (SunStar Zamboanga)