26 years of hiding is over: Wanted in deadly Isabela ambush that killed 14 soldiers finally arrested

Jones, Isabela – After nearly 26 years in hiding, authorities have finally arrested a man accused of taking part in one of the deadliest ambushes against government troops in Isabela province.

The 44-year-old suspect, identified only by the alias “Ka Ariel” and a resident of Diffun, Quirino, was apprehended by operatives after years of evading arrest over multiple murder cases linked to the killing of 14 soldiers in Barangay Linomot, Jones, Isabela, on June 27, 2000.

Among those killed in the ambush was Colonel Josefino Manayao, then commanding officer of the 502nd Brigade, along with 13 other soldiers.

According to a report from the 1st Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Mobile Force Company, Ka Ariel managed to evade arrest for decades and may have believed authorities would no longer pursue the case due to the long passage of time.

However, police renewed efforts to serve the existing warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court in Echague on February 14, 2014.

With the assistance of the Diffun Police Station, operatives tracked down Ka Ariel’s location and successfully arrested him during an operation in Quirino province.

Investigators also revealed that before the ambush occurred, civilians who boarded the same military convoy may have identified Ka Ariel as one of the men involved in the attack.

The suspect is now under the custody of the Bayombong Police Station while legal procedures for his case are being processed.