By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) announced on Monday that it arrested 1,629 individuals in 1,060 anti-crime operations conducted in March.
The CIDG news release said of the arrested suspects, 1,371 are wanted persons and criminals, including seven national most wanted persons (MWPs) with rewards and 131 regional MWPs.
Law enforcers also nabbed 231 suspects accused of rape, sexual abuse, incest rape, parricide, acts of lasciviousness, trafficking in person, sexual harassment, concubinage, child abuse, violence against women and children, online sexual exploitation, and cyber-related offenses.
A total of 27 foreign nationals were apprehended for various offenses, including cybercrimes and illegal operation of Internet Gaming Licensees.
The month-long operations likewise resulted in the confiscation of PHP897.6 million worth of evidence, 96 loose firearms, four explosives, assorted magazines, and 3,391 rounds of assorted ammunition.
There were 209 criminal complaints filed before the National Prosecution Service.
“We accounted for a significant number of the so-called guns, goons, and gold of Philippine politics, and therefore we prevented their use for the coming election,” CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said in a statement. (PNA)
