RSOG nabs most wanted persons of Culaba, Lapaz towns

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
April 10, 2013

CAMP SEC. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Two most wanted persons in Leyte and Biliran provinces were arrested by the Regional Special Operations Group 8 (RSOG8) of the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) in separate manhunt operations in Samar and Metro Manila recently.

“These manhunt operations are part of our continuing effort in the implementation of LOI Manhunt: Charlie and solve cold cases in the region,” Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) said.

Soria has made the campaign against wanted persons one of PRO8’s priority programs as he reiterated his directive to all unit commanders to account for all wanted criminals in their respective jurisdictions.

The top police official informed that on early Sunday morning, RSOG led by PInsp. Constantino Jabonete, Jr. conducted manhunt operations in Sitio Ipil, Brgy San Miguel in Daram, an island town in Samar, after receiving positive information on the presence of a wanted fugitive in the area.

The operations resulted in the arrest of one Bonifacio Custodio y Bernaldo alias Boni, 38, with live-in partner and tagged as the number 4 most wanted person of Culaba, Biliran.

RSOG was armed with an Alias Warrant of Arrest for the crime of Murder issued on October 5, 2001 issued by Judge Plenio Dela Peña of 3rd Municipal Circuit Trial Court, Caibiran-Culaba, Biliran docketed under criminal case number 875.

Judge Dela Peña did not recommend any bail for the suspect’s temporary liberty.

The police regional director further informed that while on the process of negotiation for his surrender, Custodio resisted and opened fire to the apprehending team that forced the police team to retaliate, hitting the accused on his legs.

Subsequently, the team recovered from Custodio’s possession one unit snub-nose caliber .38 paltik revolver with serial number 61178 loaded with 2 spent shells and 2 live ammunitions for caliber .38 and a holster tucked in his waist.

The arrested suspect was immediately brought to Samar Provincial Hospital for medication while the recovered firearm was turned-over to Western Samar Provincial Crime Laboratory Office for laboratory examination.

RSOG is already preparing a separate case for illegal possession of firearms and violation of Comelec gunban against Custodio.

Meanwhile, RSOG also arrested the number one most wanted person of Lapaz, Leyte who was also ranked as the number 4 most wanted man in Leyte province in a manhunt operation in East Greenhills, Mandaluyong City.

Ruel Refugia, who is facing 3 counts of murder charges in the sala of Judge Buenaventura A. Pajaron of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 in Abuyog, Leyte was arrested on April 4 by an RSOG tracker team led by SPO4 Ananias Monteroso together with elements of Police Regional Office 4-A (PRO 4-A) based on Canlubang, Laguna.

Refugia is the primary suspect in the killing of Apolonio Pelinyo, Dennis Guiron and Edgfar Escalante during a dance party at Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Lapaz, Leyte on July 27, 2000. He went into hiding immediately after the incident.