MOST WANTED. Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13) director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II reports Monday (Feb. 27, 2023) the arrest of three most wanted persons in the region during the series of police operations conducted last week by police field units in the area. Six drug suspects, among them a high-value target and a government employee, were also collared during the operations. (Photo courtesy of PRO-13)
BUTUAN CITY – Nine individuals -- three of whom are in the police's "most wanted" list -- were arrested in a series of operations conducted last week by field units of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13), an official said Monday.
PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II said the three most wanted persons were all arrested in Surigao del Sur.
Aquino Ramos, the region's fourth most wanted person, was arrested at his residence in Barangay Poblacion, San Agustin town, on Feb. 25.
Ramos, 40, has a standing arrest warrant for four counts of rape issued by a regional court in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
On the same day, authorities also arrested Ren-Ren Payac, 26, in Barangay Maticdum, Tandag City. The 10th most wanted in Caraga, Payac is accused of rape.
“I will further proactively strengthen the operations of PRO-13 aimed to apprehend perpetrators of abuse against women and children. I will make certain that you face the cold iron bars of the law,” Labra said.
Two days earlier, police operatives also apprehended a government militiaman identified as Samuel Mabandos, 46, considered the most wanted man in the region.
Mabandos, who has a pending arrest warrant for frustrated murder, was arrested at his residence in Barangay Caromata, San Miguel town.
Meanwhile, six drug suspects, including a high-value target (HVT) and government employee, were also nabbed during police operations in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-13 last week.
In addition, three more suspects were apprehended on Feb. 21 in separate buy-bust operations in Surigao del Sur, particularly in the cities of Tandag, Bislig and Cagwait town that resulted in the confiscation of shabu worth PHP136,000.
“The eradication of drug menace remains to be among the top priorities of PRO-13 and this effort will continue until we free Caraga from the influence of these illegal substances,” Labra said. (PNA)
