7 of Cagayan Valley’s most wanted nabbed; 2 others killed

CAMP ADDURU, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan — The Cagayan Valley Regional Police Office 2 scored a big blow against criminal groups operating in the region with the arrest of seven most wanted persons and the killing of two other members of criminal syndicates.

In his mid-year report, Chief Superintendent Jeffrey Soriano, Cagayan Valley regional police director, informed PNP Chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. that seven of the region’s top most wanted persons were arrested while two leaders of a notorious highway robbery gang were killed.

Soriano identified the seven top most wanted criminals as Robert Balderamos, Ernesto Santiago, Michael Badangayon, Richard Salvador, Ruel Lunag, Reynaldo Baniqued and Heralde Bag-ay.

Balderamos was listed as the region’s number three in the top most wanted list with a P250,000 reward on his head while Santiago was number 14 on the top most wanted list. The rest carried a P300,000 reward on their heads.

The arrested criminals were involved in a series of multiple murder, rape and highway robbery cases, according to police records.

Meanwhile, Leleng Gumabon and Salong Cuntawa, two leaders of the dreaded highway robbery groups, Leleng Gumabon and Sarandi groups, operating in Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya provinces, were killed in a recent follow-up operation by members of the regional intelligence group led by Superintendent Jonathan Ablang.

Soriano has attributed the arrest of persons involved in high profile crimes to the improved policing system.

"Our men succeeded in their operations against those criminal elements because of the continuous and tight linkages with other law enforcement agencies, local government and other sectors of the society under our improved policing system," said Soriano whose command was named the PNP Best Regional Office in 2003.

Crime incidents in the region’s five provinces — Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and Batanes — decreased by 30.78 percent, the report said.