BAGUIO CITY – Police arrested a man who allegedly raped his minor niece in Besao, Mountain Province.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group identified the suspect as Leo, the eighth most wanted person in the country.
Leo was apprehended on June 8 in his hideout in the Sierra Madre mountains in General Nakar, Quezon.
The suspect had a P150,000 reward for his arrest under the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) rewards program for fugitives.
Leo was caught by CIDG and the General Nakar Municipal Police Station on warrants dated Sept. 8, 2022 by the Regional Trial Court in Bontoc, Mountain Province for three counts of qualified statutory rape with no bail recommended and two counts of acts of lasciviousness under Republic Act No. 7610 (the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act) with a recommended bail of P200,000.
Investigation revealed that the abuse began in 2015. Silenced by the suspect's threats, the victim hid her predicament for seven years. She finally disclosed her ordeal to her father in 2022, leading to an immediate police complaint.
The suspect fled Mountain Province and constantly relocated, moving from Tanay, Rizal deep into the Sierra Madre mountains before CIDG operatives tracked him.
CIDG Director Police Major Gen. Robert A.A. Morico II commended operating units and added that the arrest reflects their unwavering commitment to pursuing fugitives and protecting women and children from abuse.