CATMON, CEBU | The Catmon Municipal Police Station (MPS) delivered a decisive blow to local criminality this week, executing two high-impact operations within a span of a few hours. The consecutive breakthroughs resulted in the removal of an illegal firearm from a mountainous area and the capture of the provincial top 3 most wanted homicide fugitive.
The back-to-back operations, conducted between the evening of June 30 and the early morning of July 1, 2026, highlight an intensifying law enforcement campaign led by Officer-in-Charge Pcpt Verano Sacpa.
Citizen Tip-Off thwarts Potential Threat in Brgy. Basak
The operational streak began at approximately 8:00 PM on June 30, when an alert resident phoned the station to report a suspicious, armed individual in Barangay Basak.
Responding instantly to the citizen’s call, Catmon police elements rushed to the area. The rapid deployment allowed officers to catch the suspect, identified as alias “JC,” in flagrante delicto (in the act) of unlawfully possessing a caliber .45 pistol loaded with a magazine and live ammunition.
Alias “JC” was immediately arrested and apprised of his constitutional rights under the Miranda Doctrine and the Anti-Torture Act. He faces incoming criminal charges for violating Republic Act No. 10591, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
Midnight Strike Bags Catmon’s Top 1 Fugitive
Capitalizing on the momentum, the Catmon MPS Tracker Team launched a deliberate, intelligence-driven operation just hours later in Barangay Flores. At around 1:00 AM on July 1, operatives successfully cornered and arrested alias “JM.”
Alias “JM” holds the critical rank of Top 3 Most Wanted Person at the Provincial Level and Top 1 Most Wanted Person at the Municipal Level.
The high-profile fugitive was apprehended by virtue of a standing arrest warrant for Homicide under Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code (Criminal Case No. DNO-2696). The warrant, issued on June 17, 2026, by Hon. Jerry B. Dicdican, Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 25 in Danao City, marks the final service of the suspect’s sentence after evading authorities.
Like the previous operation, the arrest was executed with strict adherence to human rights protocols. The suspect was fully documented and placed into custodial facility processing for proper court disposition.
A Powerful Partnership: Safety is a Shared Responsibility
In a statement following the dual victories, the Catmon Police strongly emphasized that these achievements belong to the people of Catmon just as much as they do to the police.
The station explicitly credited the swift arrest in Barangay Basak to the proactive vigilance of the community. Authorities noted that when citizens refuse to look the other way and instead feed real-time information to the police, potential violence is neutralized before it can start.
“These consecutive successes prove that there is no hiding place for individuals who threaten the peace of our municipality,” the Catmon PNP stated. “Our expanding intelligence network and active tracker teams are relentless, but the ultimate backbone of a crime-free Catmon is an alert, trusting, and cooperative public.”
As anti-criminality campaigns intensify, the Catmon Police urges all residents to remain vigilant, look out for their neighborhoods, and immediately report any suspicious individuals or activities to the station.
