PRO3’S 36-HOUR MANHUNT OPERATIONS HAUL TO JAIL ALL CL’S 10 MOST WANTED FELONS

BY KEVIN GALANG

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga — Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) has arrested all 10 individuals on its Regional Level Top Ten Most Wanted Persons list for September 2026, most of whom are facing rape and other serious criminal charges.

The 10 suspects were arrested in separate manhunt operations conducted across Central Luzon, with two apprehensions each recorded in Bataan, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija, and one each in Aurora, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Angeles City.

PRO3 said all 10 wanted persons were arrested within 36 hours of the intensified operations.

Police officials described the accomplishment as significant not only because the entire regional list was cleared, but also because most of the suspects are facing charges involving rape and other serious offenses.

Their apprehension, police said, is expected to help protect women, children and other vulnerable members of the community while allowing the accused to face the judicial process.

The arrests also provide victims and their families an opportunity to pursue their cases without the added uncertainty of having suspects remain at large, PRO3 said.

The operation forms part of the Philippine National Police’s continuing campaign against wanted persons and is aligned with the PNP Focused Agenda of  PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., particularly its emphasis on focused, intelligence-driven and results-oriented police operations.

PRO3 director Brig. Gen. Jess B. Mendez said the regional police office would continue its aggressive manhunt operations, particularly against individuals wanted for crimes that pose serious threats to public safety.

“This accomplishment is not simply about completing a list. Most of those arrested are facing rape charges and other serious offenses that have a lasting impact on victims, their families, and the community. Bringing them before the courts is an important step toward justice and toward making our communities safer,” Mendez said.

He said PRO3 would sustain the campaign through intensified intelligence gathering, closer coordination among police units and greater accountability at the station level.

“A warrant of arrest should never remain merely a piece of paper. Our responsibility is to find those who evade the law and bring them before the proper courts,” Mendez said.

“Every warrant served is another step toward justice—bringing the accused before the court and keeping the wheels of justice moving in the right direction,” he added.

PRO3 said the arrested individuals will be turned over to the appropriate courts and placed under proper legal procedures in connection with the charges filed against them.