CALABARZON’S NO. 2 MOST WANTED FALLS. Police Regional Office (PRO4A)-Calabarzon Regional Director, Brig. Gen. Edward E. Carranza (right), with Police Col. Serafin F. Petalio II (2nd from right), head of the regional police intelligence division (RID), present to the media the handcuffed suspect Marvin Opamin Dupal-ag alias “Marvin,” following the latter’s arrest, during a press conference at the Calabarzon Regional Police headquarters on Aug. 30, 2019. (PNA photo by Robert A. Maico)
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Calamba City - A murder and carnapping suspect tagged as No. 2 most wanted person in the Calabarzon Region, was arrested by police operatives on Thursday afternoon in Barangay Cantabaco, Toledo City, Cebu where he hid for almost 16 years.
In a press conference on Friday at this regional police command here, Police Regional Office (PRO4A)-Calabarzon regional director, Brig. Gen. Edward E. Carranza, with Police Col. Serafin F. Petalio II, head of the regional police intelligence division (RID), presented the handcuffed suspect Marvin Opamin Dupal-ag alias “Marvin” who refused to be interviewed.
“The suspect hid for almost 16 years after he committed the crime of murder in 2003, however with the joint efforts of our intel operatives and the cooperation of the community, Dupal-ag was arrested yesterday afternoon,” Carranza said.
He commended the operating units of the RID4A headed by Petalio, Police Regional Office 7 and joint operatives from city police stations of Toledo City, Cebu and Dasmariñas City, Cavite, where Dupal-ag committed the crimes of murder, frustrated murder, and carnapping.
Carranza also vowed to intensify its anti-criminality operations against wanted persons in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and criminality.
“We shall remain firm in our stance to put these criminals behind bars,” he said.
Dupal-ag was captured through a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Norberto Quisumbing Jr. of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 21 in Imus City, Cavite on March 3, 2008.
According to police record, Dupal-ag is an alleged member of the Notorious South People (NSP) gang operating in Southern Luzon, who happened to recruit members for the criminal group.
It was during one of the NSP gang’s illegal recruitment schemes when Dupal-ag murdered an alleged recruited victim named Jerson Joseph Beltran Cabayan on Nov. 9, 2003 in Dasmariñas City and eluded arrest after committing the crime.
Another warrant of arrest was also issued against the suspect by Judge Fernando Felicen of the same regional trial court on Oct. 13, 2008 for frustrated murder and for violation of Republic Act 6539 or the Anti-Carnapping Act of 1972.
The cases stemmed from the suspect’s frustrated murder charge on another victim Dave Medina Barazaga on July 15, 2007 and forcibly took away the victim’s four-wheeled vehicle.
Carranza appealed to the public to report any incident and whereabouts of criminal suspects.
“Let the rule of law take its course and that justice will be served,” he said. (Robert A. Maico/PNA)
