23-year-old Most Wanted nabbed for statutory rape charge in Luna, Isabela

LUNA, Isabela — A 23-year-old man listed as a Most Wanted Person was arrested after police served a warrant for statutory rape in Barangay San Miguel, Luna, Isabela, at around 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2026.

Police identified the suspect only as alias “Lui,” 23, single, unemployed, and a resident of Barangay San Miguel.

The Tracker Team of the Luna Municipal Police Station implemented the warrant in connection with a statutory rape case with no recommended bail. The warrant was entered into the Enhanced E-Warrant System, according to the police report.

Lui is currently under the custody of the Luna MPS for documentation and preparation for turnover to the issuing court.

The arrest comes amid continuing police efforts to track down wanted persons facing cases involving sexual violence in Isabela.

In a similar case earlier this month, a 26-year-old man listed as a Most Wanted Person was arrested in Echague, Isabela, on Sept. 14 while facing five rape cases. Police said the cases involved three counts of rape under Republic Act No. 11648 and two counts of qualified rape, with no recommended bail.

Meanwhile, data presented to the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children in June 2025 showed 28 pending rape cases in Isabela, second only to Cagayan’s 254 among the provinces in Cagayan Valley at the time. The council noted that the figures may also reflect increased awareness and willingness to report abuse.

At the national level, Philippine National Police records showed that reported rape cases declined from 9,910 in 2024 to 7,662 in 2025, a 22.68-percent decrease. Rape remained among the PNP’s monitored focus crimes.

Isabela Police Provincial Office Provincial Director PCOL Manuel B. Bringas stressed the importance of continuously serving arrest warrants against wanted persons.

“Patuloy nating paiigtingin ang ating mga operasyon laban sa mga wanted persons. Ang bawat warrant na ating naipatutupad ay hakbang tungo sa paghahatid ng hustisya at pagpapanatili ng kaligtasan ng ating mga komunidad,” Bringas said.

The Isabela PPO said it would continue intelligence-driven operations against wanted persons while observing legal procedures and the rights of suspects.