MANILA, Philippines — One of Philippine television’s best-known investigative crime programs is gearing up for another round of real-life cases, as ABS-CBN News confirmed that new episodes of “SOCO: Scene of the Crime Operatives” will begin airing on September 12, 2026.
ABS-CBN announced the September return on Saturday, August 29, giving followers of the long-running investigative docudrama another date to mark after the program successfully reestablished itself across streaming, digital, and television platforms.
Veteran broadcast journalist Gus Abelgas remains the face of “SOCO,” a program that built its reputation by reconstructing major criminal cases and examining how investigators, witnesses, forensic evidence, and law-enforcement authorities pieced together what happened.
The latest announcement is brief, however. As of August 29, ABS-CBN has not yet disclosed on the linked report which specific criminal cases will be featured in the September 12 episodes, nor has it formally described the coming batch as a third season.
That distinction matters as interest builds around what comes next for the revived franchise.
‘SOCO’ Made a Major Comeback in 2025
The modern incarnation of “SOCO” was launched on October 24, 2025, when Gus Abelgas returned to ABS-CBN for a refreshed version of the investigative program on iWant.
The revamped format introduced ABS-CBN News reporters Zyann Ambrosio, Dennis Datu, Jeff Caparas, Lyza Aquino, and Jessie Cruzat, who brought firsthand reporting experience from cases they had personally covered.
The revival also expanded the traditional “SOCO” formula. Aside from dramatic reenactments and interviews, ABS-CBN said the updated program would incorporate material such as autopsy findings, witness accounts, discussions with police investigators, and insights from forensic experts to provide viewers with a deeper look at how criminal cases unfold.
Philstar likewise reported on Abelgas’ comeback, highlighting the participation of the new reporting team and the show’s renewed focus on evidence, interviews, and the pursuit of justice. The Freeman also covered the October 2025 revival, describing the program as an updated version of the investigative franchise familiar to Filipino audiences.
From Streaming Comeback to Free TV
The revival did not remain confined to streaming.
In January 2026, ABS-CBN brought “SOCO” back to free television, with the program airing through Kapamilya Channel on ALLTV2 beginning January 17, alongside a simulcast on A2Z and Kapamilya Online Live.
That expanded distribution gave the revived investigative series access to viewers who had originally followed “SOCO” on television as well as a younger digital audience increasingly consuming long-form crime documentaries online.
The franchise then returned with Season 2 in April 2026, with episodes becoming available first on iWant beginning April 11 and subsequently rolling out through ABS-CBN’s digital and television platforms.
Season 2 featured reporters Jeff Caparas and Jessie Cruzat alongside Abelgas and examined several disturbing real-life cases.
Among them were “Maso,” involving the killing of members of a family in Malaybalay City; “Kuyog,” which revisited the fatal assault of a criminology student in Tondo; and “Pagnanasa,” centering on the killing of a teenage student in Bukidnon.
What Could Be Coming on September 12?
For now, that is the biggest unanswered question.
ABS-CBN’s August 29 announcement confirms one crucial detail — fresh “SOCO” episodes are arriving September 12 — but the network has yet to reveal the full slate of cases in the linked report.
That leaves viewers waiting to learn whether the next batch will revisit nationally followed crimes, lesser-known cases that remained unresolved for years, or investigations involving new forensic and testimonial developments.
What appears clear is that ABS-CBN continues to invest in the “SOCO” brand after its 2025 comeback, its return to free television and the rollout of a second season in 2026.
For a program built around one question — what really happened at the scene of the crime? — the September 12 return gives audiences another set of investigations to watch closely.
And with the actual cases still under wraps, the biggest mystery for “SOCO” fans may currently be the simplest one:
Which crime story will Gus Abelgas investigate first when the new episodes begin?
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