3 rape suspects arrested in separate police ops in South Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — Police operatives arrested three long wanted rape suspects, one of them detained for other criminal offenses, in separate operations Thursday.

A report Friday from the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office stated that the first to fall was the 35-year-old Ricardo Verga Jr., who is detained at the South Cotabato provincial jail here, facing other criminal cases.

Verga, a carpenter, is from Barangay Pulonuling in Tupi, South Cotabato.

The warrant for his arrest for rape was issued by Judge Allan Edwin Boncavil of the Regional Trial Court Branch 62 in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

Members of the municipal police in Tantangan, South Cotabato arrested Thursday the 61-year-old Pedro Matunhay for statutory rape.

Police Capt. Junel Rey Gatera, Tantangan police chief, said Matunhay voluntarily turned himself in when policemen arrived at his house in Barangay Maibo in Tantangan, South Cotabato to arrest him.

Gatera said the warrant for Matunhay’s arrest was signed by Judge Felix Mesa of the RTC Branch 26 in nearby Surallah town in South Cotabato.

A police team, backed by volunteer community watchmen, arrested a third rape suspect late Thursday in Barangay Carpenter Hill south of Koronadal City.

The suspect, whose name was withheld pending his turnover to the police in Braulio Dujali municipality in Davao del Norte where he is wanted for rape, is now clamped down in a detention facility of the Koronadal City Police Office.

The suspect was arrested past 8:00 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Carpenter Hill by combined members of the Koronal City police and the Braulio Dujali municipal police station.

In a statement Friday, the South Cotabato Provincial Police said the warrant for the arrest of the rape suspect from Davao del Norte province was issued by Judge Carmel Grado of RTC Branch 4 in Panabo City.