GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Police arrested another “most wanted person”, who has a pending case for rape in the South Cotabato town of Banga, in a village in Koronadal City on Thursday.
Chief Insp. Verlin Pampolina, chief of the Banga municipal police, identified the suspect as Felix Do-oma Deocadez, 53, who was nabbed after more than a year in hiding.
Pampolina said the suspect was cornered by their operatives at about 11 a.m. at Callejo Subdivision, Barangay General Paulino Santos in Koronadal City.
Deocadez, a resident of Barangay Cabuling in Banga, was charged with rape in April last year, he said. The details of the case were withheld due to its sensitive nature.
Pampolina said the suspect’s arrest was based on a warrant for rape with no bail recommended, issued by Judge Lorenzo Balo of Regional Trial Court Branch 26 in Surallah town.
“He was number four on the list of most wanted personalities in our area of responsibility,” the police official said, adding that they have long been tracking down the suspect, who managed to flee before the arrest warrant was issued.
They launched the operation on Thursday after confirming a tip from an informant that the suspect was hiding in Koronadal City, Pampolina said.
Banga police operatives arrested earlier this week the numbers three and five on the list of most wanted personalities in the area, who were also charged with rape. (Alejandro Saludo/PNA)