The National Capital Region Police Office on Tuesday announced the arrest of four individuals included in the list of most wanted persons in Metro Manila.
Arrested were Miguel Philip Garnace, 18, of 1676 Maingat Street, Phase 4, Barangay CAA, Las Piñas City; Rodnel Layug, of Western Bicutan, Taguig City; Desiree Saludo, 53, of 15Q Lotus Tower, Oriental Garden, Pasong Tamo, Makati City, and Joseph Soterio, 33, a native of Cainta, Rizal and resident of Barangay Submakin, Labo, Camarines Norte.
A composite team from Las Piñas City police station and Southern Police District – Mobile Force Batallon led by Lt. Jay Joseph de Guzman and Lt. Ricardo Quibrantos apprehended Garnace on Monday based on a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Nerina Anastacio-Mendinueto of Las Pinas City Regional Trial Court, Branch 199 on May 6.
Police said Garnace, who ranked No. 4 in the district level of most wanted person for the 3rd Quarter of 2022 in Las Pinas, is wanted for two counts of rape.
Also on Monday, Taguig City Police operatives arrested Layug, the city’s Top 8 Most Wanted Person and member of the Bobby Arao Robbery Hold-Up Group. The suspect is also wanted for car theft and the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 69 of Taguig City.
A warrant of arrest was also served in Mandaluyong City against Saludo, known for her alias Dess, who ranked Top 5 in the list of most wanted person in the city. She was accused of qualified theft, estafa and for violating the tax code and bouncing checks law.
Meanwhile, elements of the Project 6 Police Station 15 served the arrest warrant of Soterio who topped the list of most wanted men in Quezon City. Soterio is wanted for two counts of rape and sexual assault.
NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad lauded “the unwavering effort of his men in the conduct of intelligence-driven manhunt operations to bring wanted persons before the court ordering for their arrest.”
“I commend the unwavering effort of Southern Police District and Quezon City Police District in conducting intelligence-driven operations geared to arrest wanted persons so that they may be bound to answer for the charges filed against them,” he said.
Aside from going after most wanted men, the NCRPO is also enforcing the PNP’s anti-crime campaign dubbed as SACLEO, or the simultaneous anti-criminality and law enforcement operations, aimed to ensure peace and order in the community.
SACLEO is an all-out police operation simultaneously conducted in identified areas against illegal drug personalities, bearers of loose firearms, illegal gamblers, and city ordinance violators.
