Photo courtesy of PNP
Joint units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arrested three wanted suspects in a series of operations in Masbate from May 12 to 14, 2026.
Authorities said the arrests were carried out through coordinated intelligence and manhunt operations led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Masbate.
The suspects, all male residents of Palanas, were wanted for murder under warrants issued by a local court with no recommended bail.
Security officials said the trio were linked to an armed group operating in Bicol and had long been listed in police and military wanted records.
One suspect was arrested on May 12 in Cataingan, followed by two more arrests on May 13 and May 14 in separate operations.
Authorities tied the suspects to a 2010 killing of a public school teacher in Palanas while the victim was on his way home.
Police said the suspects had evaded arrest for years before being tracked down through sustained surveillance and field operations.
Officials said the arrests formed part of continuing efforts to go after fugitives involved in serious violent crimes and dismantle armed threat groups.
