Arrest of most wanted persons in N. Samar will help ensure peaceful village polls - Soria

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
October 14, 2013

CAMP KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – The apprehension of three most wanted persons in Northern Samar over the weekend will help ensure the peaceful conduct of the barangay elections in the province, said the region’s top police official.

PCSupt. Elmer R. Soria, director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) said that the implementation of focused and sustained police operations against wanted persons and deployment of Regional Special Operations Task Group (RSOTG) are aimed at minimizing, if not eradicating, the occurrence of election-related incident in said province which was earlier tagged as priority area in the forthcoming polls.

“Persons with criminal records and wanted by law could be tapped by unscrupulous politicians to advance their political interest in the coming polls by using them to harass, intimidate or even neutralize their political opponents,” Soria said.

With this, Soria directed an intensified manhunt operation against wanted persons in the province that resulted in the arrest of most wanted men of Catarman, Laoang and Rosario towns over the weekend.

He identified the arrested fugitives as Noel Cabales, 41; Atus Villocero, 40; and Ubaldo Frago, 22; all listed in the most wanted persons list in above towns.

Cabales was nabbed by operatives from Catarman Municipal Police Station led by PSupt. Jesus Miranda on Saturday afternoon in his hide-out at Brgy. Ipil-ipil.

The suspect had standing arrest warrant for murder under criminal case number 5260 at the sala of Judge Alma Esidera of Regional Trial Court branch 20 in Catarman, the provincial capital.

Cabales is listed as the number 10 in the most wanted person list of Catarman with no bail bond recommended for his temporary liberty.

Meanwhile, murder suspect Villocero who is ranked nine in the most wanted person list of Laoang town was arrested Saturday evening at his residence in Brgy. Agaudahan.

The arresting team led by PSInsp. Sam Andarino was armed with an arrest warrant issued by RTC branch 22 Judge Jose Falcotelo for criminal case number 4428.

Also, at around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Frago was arrested in a Comelec checkpoint along the national highway in Brgy. 1 in Rosario town manned by a police team under PSInsp. Anthony Din.

Frago is facing robbery charges before the sala of Judge Armando L. Rosadiño of 6th San Jose-Biri-Rosario municipal circuit trial courts in criminal case number 5131 with P12,000 recommended bail.

Suspect is the number 5 most wanted person of Rosario town.

All arrested suspects were brought to the issuing courts for proper disposition, Soria added.

On October 8, the police regional office activated the RSOTG in Northern Samar to ensure peaceful and secured barangay elections in the province.

The history of election-related incidents in the 2007 and 2010 village polls, insurgency problem, estimated high number of loose firearms and the probability of intense political rivalries between the candidates and their supporters are among the factors that were considered by the authorities in increasing security focus and attention to the area.

Also, 125 villages in the province are listed in the Election Watchlist of Areas for the forthcoming polls.

The police official said he is confident that the recent arrests would help ensure the conduct of secure elections in Northern Samar.