Police escort a man arrested in Upi, Maguindanao del Norte, on Sept. 2 over the 1989 killing of four people in Sto. Tomas, Isabela. The CIDG said the suspect had allegedly evaded arrest for about 37 years and carried a Php 50,000 reward. (Photo courtesy of CIDG)
A suspect in the 1989 killing of four people in Isabela was arrested in Maguindanao del Norte after spending about 37 years allegedly evading authorities, the Philippine National Police- Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said.
Police tracked the suspect to Barangay Nuro Poblacion in Upi, where he was arrested at around 6:40 p.m. on Sept. 2 by CIDG personnel and other police units.
The man was on the government’s list of most wanted fugitives and carried a Php 50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, according to the CIDG.
His murder case dates back to Aug. 24, 1989, when four people were shot while passing near a residence in Barangay Bagutari, Sto. Tomas, Isabela.
Investigators alleged that the suspect opened fire on the four victims, killing them at the scene. Police said the attack may have stemmed from a longstanding dispute involving land.
The CIDG said the suspect left Isabela after the killings and allegedly moved through different areas to avoid arrest before eventually settling in Maguindanao del Norte.
Authorities located him following a manhunt that involved intelligence personnel in Isabela and other police units. A court in Ilagan issued the murder warrant on Aug. 28, 2026, with no bail recommended.
The arrest brings the suspect before the courts decades after the killings, but the allegations against him remain subject to trial and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
