ILOILO CITY – Despite its workforce being kept busy by the nation’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for several months, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has been able to arrest 459 most wanted persons since January 7.
“We should not allow them to stay scot-free even at this time,” said IPPO Director Colonel Paul Kenneth Lucas.
Based on IPPO records, the arrest of 459 wanted individuals was seven percent higher than those made for the same period of last year when only 429 were arrested.
The 459 for the first eight months of the year included 20 people nabbed in the first week of August.
Police units in 12 towns were able to go after people on their most wanted list including the police stations in Lambunao and Pavia, which both arrested three wanted persons each.
Two most wanted persons were also arrested by police in Banate, Dingle, Miag-ao, and Tigbauan towns respectively while the police in Ajuy, Barotac Nuevo, Batad, Dumangas, Leon, and San Enrique were able to nab at least one wanted person.
Meanwhile, in the first three days of August, 12 police stations delivered on their accomplishments with the arrest of 20 wanted persons.
Mewanwhile, Lucas ordered other station chiefs to continue going after suspects who remain at-large while its personnel are augmenting COVID-19 response mechanisms of local government units (LGUs) or government agencies.