By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police arrested yesterday a 19-year-old man tagged as the fifth most wanted person (MWP) in Western Visayas after he was sighted in Barangay Bulad, Isabela, Negros Occidental.
He was charged with rape and violation of Republic Act 9995 (Section 4(A) and Section 4(D) of the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.
Police served him two arrest warrants issued by Presiding Judge Cyclamen Jison Fernandez of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 63 in La Carlota City, on January 23, 2024.
The court did not allow bail for the rape charges, while a P21,000 bail was recommended for each section of the other offense.
Police Captain Ar-jay Dangarang, town police chief, said that it took them less than a week to monitor the suspect, whom he refused to name.
The suspect, who works as a sugar worker, was also tagged as the ninth MWP in the province, and seventh MWP in the town, because the crimes committed were considered sensational, according to Dangarang.
Dangarang said the cases stemmed from an incident in July last year, victimizing a female minor. The minor had no idea that the suspect was allegedly secretly taking a video of a sexual act, and reportedly uploaded it online, he added. He, however, did not elaborate further about the incident.
In a statement, Police Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, said the collaborative effort demonstrates their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
“We commend the swift and efficient actions of the Isabela Municipal Police Station and its supporting units in apprehending the suspect,” Villaflor said, as he assured that they will continue to work tirelessly to uphold justice and protect the citizens from harm.
